Bethenny Frankel married Jason Hoppy in 2010, and had their baby girl Bryn the same year. Unfortunately, their union didn’t last long, as they announced their split in 2012. Almost 4 years later, it was recently announced that the nasty divorce battle is finally over for these two.

At first glance, we would have thought that this divorce battle raged on for so many years because of custody disagreements regarding the couples’ daughter. But no! It turns out that they were able to settle their custody issues fairly early on, in 2014. Rather, the main point of contention between the parties has been the $7 million New York apartment that the couple moved into together when they first wed.

Reportedly, a New York judge ordered that the parties be allowed to remain in the apartment together to exercise custody of their daughter. However, the situation became so unbearable for Bethenny that she had to move out, staying in hotels for some time and finally securing a new residence for herself. As a result of the finalization of their divorce, Jason has finally moved out of the apartment. Although Bethenny expected to be jumping for joy at this time, she has found herself experiencing different emotions, and is now eager to sell the apartment and move on with her life.

Many of our readers are probably shocked to hear that a divorce could take 4 years to finalize. Not surprisingly, most of our clients come into the process expecting it to be over fairly quickly. While the motivations for ending a divorce as quickly as possible vary from couple to couple, it often times has to do with one party’s desire to get remarried, or concerns about finances. If you are considering a divorce from your spouse, or already in the midst of a divorce, keep in mind that the minimum time it will take to get a divorce in California is 6 months. Even if you have resolved all of the issues in your case in less time, the California statutes will not allow you to become a single person for six months from the time that the  divorce petition has been served. Often times the process will take longer, and depends on the quantity and complexity of issues in your case, as well as the parties’ abilities to compromise and work together to resolve the issues in their case.

If you find your situation to be similar to Bethenny and Jason’s, and by that I mean you have only one significant point of contention that is causing your divorce to drag on seemingly forever, keep in mind that you may agree to or ask a court to “bifurcate” your marital status and enter a status only Judgment of Dissolution.   Simply put, this means that you may become legally divorced (single), right away and continue to sort out your property division issues later.  You still must wait the statutory six months even if you and the other party agree to the bifurcation.   Often times, parties that wish to get remarried quickly will seek this option.

Before you decide to move forward with a bifurcation of marital status, you need to consider how that will impact your case and your finances.  There are several statutory protections and indemnifications that you must agree to in order for the court to grant your request to return to the status of single.  There are also tax implications that can impact your income significantly.  That is why it is so important that you speak with a qualified family law attorney before you make any decisions about whether or not to bifurcate the issue of marital status.

The attorneys at Bickford Blado & Botros practice exclusively in the area of family law and are experienced in handling all types of conflicts that may arise during the divorce process. We work with our clients to determine the best path towards a comprehensive and speedy resolution of their matter. Please contact us if you are considering a divorce from your spouse, a legal separation, or have questions regarding bifurcation of your marital status.  Nancy J. Bickford is the only Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) in San Diego County who is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Don’t settle for less when determining your rights.  Call 858-793-8884 in Del Mar, Carmel Valley, North County or San Diego.

 

 

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