It's just three years ago when I personally invited Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore to settle their divorce over a weekend in one of our DivorceHotels in order to avoid a never ending process. In the end they didn't take me up on my offer and as it turned out, it took 2 whole years to get the divorce finalized after they had split up. From that moment on, celebrity divorces started to fascinate me.
The list of high profile, often painful and expensive divorce cases is long and it contains the likes of Paul McCartney, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Kim Kardashian and Heidi Klum. I'm convinced that it is possible for celebrities to quickly settle their divorce and if desired, it could be done in a weekend, if both celebrity spouses are willing to cooperate and are able to wish each other a positive new future. So why is it so important for celebrities to choose for a (fast) mediation process instead of a traditional court procedure? Here are my VI-P's!
Positivity
Mediation is a more positive and sensible approach and it is 'hands-on'; which means, not the judge, but you, yourself will be able to control the process. That's why it often goes faster. The longer a divorce procedure takes, the higher the risk of tempers flaring up. In many of the high-profile divorce cases in the US, the start is positive because a lot of celebs have the intention to show the world they are able to split up in a positive way. However, a celebrity lifestyle comes with a lot of dynamics and things can quickly change. For example, we often see that one of the celebrity spouses finds a new partner, which will only make things complicated. The longer it takes, the more family and friends will be involved and the gap between the partners will grow day by day. Opting for mediation is opting for the fast-track, which costs less, does not involve as many people and couples will be more inclined to stay positive.
Publicity
The faster and more positive a divorce procedure goes, the less interesting the case will be for the press. Also, mediation processes are often much more focused on positivity compared to the all too familiar long-lasting, traditional divorce procedures where emotions can take a wrong turn. This is a huge risk in terms of publicity. We all know the famous examples of nasty traditional divorces were celebrities became hot topics of the daily news. The divorce of Charlie Sheen is a good example of such a nasty divorce procedure. Going through a divorce is not the best period for being at the center of attention from the press, because when things go sour, this may impair the celebrity's popularity and image which took so much time and effort to build. This brings me to my next point.
Popularity
A mediation process is a joint effort, with each spouse having the same mediator. This approach often makes the whole process a more friendly affair, also for the rich and famous, who will be able to end their marriages together in a more positive way, catering to their primary intention to show the world they want the split up to be as such. Based on mediation, the odds are this is more than likely. I believe every celebrity should stay away from prolonged and negative divorce procedures, to avoid damaging their popularity. This way, they will keep it positive and will be able to continue their lives and build their careers.
Privacy
Privacy is one of the most important treasures for celebrities. In a traditional divorce procedure both spouses will have their full stories spread across the media, with even more of their private, sensitive information finding its way to the public. Something celebrities normally try to avoid! That is exactly the reason why more of them should opt for mediation, which is a much more coordinated process. In a mediation process you can suffice with providing only the necessary information to the court. This makes a big difference!
Prenuptial Agreement
The final VI-P is not a reason why celebrities should choose for a fast mediation process, but just a valuable tip to all celebrities, which can save them a lot of money. Having a prenuptial agreement makes a divorce procedure easier for celebrities as the professionals will be able to settle everything more efficiently. Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore didn't sign a prenuptial agreement when they married in September 2005, which in theory means the actress could have been entitled to a part of her former husband's earnings from the time they were together.
To conclude my story I would recommend for celebrities to stay away from aggressive divorce lawyers focusing on making big bucks with their usual, prolonged court procedures. These should be avoided, not just to save money, but also to make divorces more bearable and positive. A swift mediation process would avoid a traditional celebrity divorce procedure in the public eye, dragged out through the gossip columns of the press. This may be a bit disappointing for the tabloids, but surely there remains enough for them to write about!