Liverpool FC manager Brendan Rodgers has been in court in an attempt to finalise his multi-million-pound divorce from his wife of thirteen years.
It has been revealed that one of the stumbling blocks for the divorce is the 102 properties that the couple own, with the buy-to-let empire set to be valued as part of the financial settlement. According to some legal sources, Mrs Rodgers who has two children with the current Anfield boss is seeking half of her husband's wealth. Rodgers, who is set to remain as the Liverpool boss until 2018, earns at least £5 million per year prior to bonuses, and will earn at least £20 million by the time his contract expires.
Using this capital the manager has also built a massive rental property empire with his business partner Judith O’Hagan. For an accurate settlement to be found, the court is valuing the houses and assessing how much his soon to be ex-wife could be entitled to.
Mrs Rodgers went before a family court in London asking for a ruling on the amount of maintenance she should receive from her ex-husband. Her lawyer said: “Susan is saddened that after a relationship spanning 24 years she had to go to court to secure sufficient maintenance from her husband.”
Pre-Nuptial Agreements
Despite the wealth of Brendan Rodgers, who has managed numerous other clubs prior to Liverpool, he did not have a prenuptial agreement with his wife. However, prenuptial agreements can be exceptionally useful not only for the breakdown of the marriage but beneficial to the marriage itself. Many people believe that by getting a prenuptial agreement they are consigning the marriage to fail. However, such agreements are created to protect assets and the financial rights of each party prior to getting married. They are also popular if one member of the marriage is significantly well off or has more assets and signing a prenuptial agreement shows that both members of the marriage are getting married for the right reasons.
Pros and Cons of Prenups
As well as providing peace of mind, a premarital agreement can address more than the financial aspects of marriage, and can cover any of the details of decision-making and responsibility sharing to which the parties agree in advance. They can also leave one spouse debt-free if the other is attempting to pay off debts so that both are not liable. A premarital agreement can limit the amount of spousal support that one spouse will have to pay the other upon divorce.
Although they have their advantages prenups can also breed mistrust in a marriage and can also be quickly outdated if circumstances change. There is also the danger that one member of the marriage agrees to the issues laid out in a prenuptial agreement because they are “too attached” to a loved one at the honeymoon period of the marriage, which can then prove detrimental for them following the breakdown of the relationship.
Contact Us
If you require legal advice regarding divorce or establishing a prenuptial agreement, contact our Liverpool-based family solicitors today using our online contact form.
