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Child custody, asset division issue in Robert De Niro’s divorce

On Behalf of | Jun 21, 2019 | Divorce

While there are some couples in Missouri who are able to amicably end their marriage, allowing them to transition to the next stage of their lives relatively drama-free, there are many who need court intervention to help them make a variety of different decisions related to their split. This appears to be the case in the divorce of Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower. At issue is the division of millions of dollars as well as custody of their daughter.

The couple reportedly signed a prenuptial agreement. As a result of that agreement, De Niro — who according to Hightower’s attorney is worth over half a billion dollars — claims that Hightower is entitled to $1 million a year, half the value of their marital residence, a $6 million apartment and $500,000 in cash. He additionally argues that their case should be heard by a mediator.

Hightower disagrees with that interpretation of their prenup, apparently arguing that she is entitled to half of all assets. Her representative claims that De Niro has earned $300 million since they signed a prenuptial agreement in 2004. In addition to seeking a larger portion of assets than De Niro claims she is entitled to, she has also accused De Niro of “shady accounting practices.”  Child custody regarding the couple’s 7-year-old daughter must also be determined.

In many cases, a prenuptial agreement can help ease many of the more stressful aspects of a divorce. An attorney with experience creating such documents in Missouri can help a person fully understand the implications of any agreements. However, such a professional can also help challenge an existing document or defend against a challenge should questions regarding a prenup arise as a couple seeks to disentangle their lives from one another.