Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday celebration on Nov. 8 was star-studded. In addition to the very famous Kardashian-Jenner family, the party brought together a multitude of celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Vin Diesel, Mark Zuckerberg, Prince Enrique and Meghan Markle, Paris Hilton, Melanie Griffith or the couple Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, guests of the evening in their home in Beverly Hills (California). “Maybe I was the only non-famous person there!” jokes Laura Wasser (California, 57 years old) in an interview with Daily mail published last Sunday. But this is not entirely true. The lawyer has become a popular face with an enviable client list, having represented all kinds of Hollywood stars in their divorce proceedings, from Johnny Depp or Kevin Costner to Britney Spears or Angelina Jolie.
Kim Kardashian counted on her for her divorce from Kris Humphries in 2013, and she was so pleased that she hired her again in 2022, when she divorced Kanye West. In fact, Kardashian says she was inspired by Wasser and his heavy-handedness for her role as a lawyer on the series. everything is finerecently published. Wasser also represented Robyn Moore in her split from Mel Gibson in 2009, resulting in a final settlement of more than $400 million that went on to become the largest in Hollywood history.
The fees of the so-called “queen of divorces” are high: she charges 1,200 dollars an hour (1,040 euros, at the current exchange rate). But during the interview with the British tabloid, he offers seven free keys so that anyone, famous or anonymous, can better manage their divorce.
Communicate marital expectations before saying “I do”
Wasser says one of the biggest mistakes is getting married without knowing the other person’s future plans. “I’ve been doing this job for 30 years and I’m surprised that some couples still don’t talk about their expectations about marriage first,” he says in Daily mail. For the lawyer, among the topics that a couple should discuss before getting married there are questions such as: “The children. Do we love them? Will we send them to a private or public school? Religion. You are Catholic, I am Jewish, how will we practice it?”. On the other hand, he also warns about the importance of talking about money. “Talking about joint or separate incomes and bank accounts isn’t sexy, but it will prolong the relationship because you’ll be on the same page,” she says. According to what she says, she got married at 25 and before the wedding they only talked about the number of bridesmaids and the choice of photographer. The result? Their marriage lasted only 14 months.
Always bet on the prenuptial agreement
Most of Wasser’s clients are millionaires, and it is rare that they have not signed a prenuptial agreement before marriage that sets forth how their assets, debts and other financial matters will be handled in the event of divorce, separation or death of their husbands or wives. He recommends establishing this type of agreement regardless of the economic profile of the spouses, but also remembers that they have their limits. They cannot, for example, include decisions about custody or child support, as these are issues that must be addressed in the divorce process. “You also can’t include rules that govern someone else’s behavior, like: ‘If you cheat on me, you’ll have to pay for this.’ A client asked me, ‘Can we include something that says my wife needs to lose her pregnancy weight within a certain period of time?’” The answer was a resounding no.
Don’t skimp on the lawyer
Few can afford fees like his, but Wasser insists on the importance of being well informed before choosing a divorce lawyer. He recommends doing research online, asking for references and meeting with two or three professionals before deciding which option is best. “Find out if there is good chemistry and if you can work with them for the next six or eight months,” he advises. He also advises avoiding extremely aggressive lawyers: “I always tell people: The more you and your spouse fight, the more money I’ll make, so try to reach a settlement as much as you can,” he recalls.
Forget the drama
One of Wasser’s clients told his soon-to-be ex-partner that he wanted to divorce her on Valentine’s Day, sending her a bouquet of wilted roses along with a court summons. This is the type of unnecessary drama that the lawyer recommends avoiding by treating the matter sensitively. “Here in Los Angeles, a lot of people go to couples therapy, and I usually recommend dealing with the issue in one session. Saying, ‘Let’s change this. We were in therapy to try to save the marriage and now I’ve decided it’s probably over. But you’re still the parent of my kids and I want to fix this,'” she offers.
Be well informed about your financial situation
Wasser confesses that many of his clients, especially women, are not sure what their specific financial situation is. “I know we live in this house, but I don’t know how much the mortgage is,” are phrases he hears regularly, as he explains. For her, the four areas that need to be known are: assets, debts, income and expenses. “Some people don’t watch their spending, so watch your credit cards and see how much you spend on support, whether it’s hair, nails, Botox, whatever. Look at how much you spend on meals, going out, travel. Look at how much money you take out and make a list of your budget so you can determine whether or not your child support will be able to cover it,” she suggests.
Save money in the divorce process itself
It sounds like throwing rocks at your own roof, but the lawyer is a big believer in saving time and money during divorce proceedings. In fact, in 2018 he launched the business online Divorce.com offers a more convenient way to separate. “I think everyone, rich or poor, should consider doing this.” online If they can,” she says. She also doesn’t understand that people waste effort arguing over things like home furnishings and recommends distributing them as quickly, amicably and fairly as possible because the opposite, to her, is wasting money. “As an ethical person, I would tell a customer that we won’t spend $1,200 to write a letter on couch cushions. Sometimes they say I don’t support them, but supporting them means telling them to let go of the couch cushions,” he acknowledges.
Put children first
It seems like the most obvious rule, but Wasser admits that it’s often not followed. “Sometimes, celebrity clients have wanted to use the press as a tool to publicly discredit their spouse. And I’ve told them, ‘Do you really want your kids to read this? He’s still their father’. And they retract it,” he exemplifies. She has two children, aged 15 and 20, from two different fathers who she has never married. “We didn’t stick to a custody schedule. I’d say, ‘I need you to pick up our son today,’ and they both always did. And I’ve been there for them, too. Even if you don’t share a bed with them anymore, you still share a family,” he recalls.
