Kentucky residents may be aware of the pending divorce of hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin and his wife. That divorce is still ongoing and an issue recently has cropped up regarding property that Griffin states he already has paid his wife.
According to Griffin, he already has paid approximately $37 million to his wife, along with one-half of the $11 million stake in the couple's shared house. The couple has a prenuptial agreement in place that allocates millions of dollars to her, in order to render her financially stable from the very beginning of the marriage. It is reported that Griffin's wife was represented by three law firms when it came to negotiating and drafting the agreement.
However, Griffin's wife claims that the money paid to her as provided for in the prenuptial agreement would result in her receiving only about one percent of the couple's assets, which amount to over $5 billion. She contests the terms of the prenuptial agreement, claiming that she only agreed to it while under duress, after Griffin colluded with his psychiatrist in order to coerce her into signing the prenup.
Griffin contests his wife's claims. He claims that his wife had weeks during which to examine and approve the prenup and that the couple talked over the terms of the prenup prior to signing it. He also claims that he already paid her $25 million that she was to receive under the terms of the prenup. According to Griffin, she accepted the terms of the prenup prior to the divorce.
As this example shows, prenups are sometimes contested during a divorce. This can lead to problems when it comes to property division. In these times, it is important to seek professional advice. Contesting prenups can lengthen the property division process, as well as lead to complications and questions as to who gets what. In general, this means that couples will spend more time and money during the divorce process, which may not be in their best interests. If each spouse has legal representation, he or she may be able to eventually come to an agreement, either outside of court or through litigation that either clarifies the prenup, renders it acceptable or voids the prenup altogether.