Actor Forest Whitaker has enjoyed a long and successful career. His many pursuits in film and on television have brought joy and intrigue to the lives of Washington residents for decades. However, Whitaker has been in the news recently for something unrelated to his acting career: he recently decided to file for divorce from his wife.
Whitaker and his wife have been married for more than 20 years and share two adult children. While the end of their union is undoubtedly sad, there are a number of considerations that readers can take from it to understand the differences that couples may experience when they divorce after long-term marriages instead of after only a few years.
First, Whitaker and his wife do not have any minor children, shared or otherwise. Because of this, they will not have to work out child support or custody plans that can often become difficult points of contention between parties who have young children.
Additionally, instead of focusing their attention on matters related to their children, Whitaker and his soon-to-be ex may have to put forth more effort when it comes to settling their finances. As a highly compensated actor, Whitaker’s earnings may be subject to distribution during the divorce and with a long-term marriage his wife may be able to make a strong case regarding her share of their marital property.
Long-term marriages end in divorce, just as short-term marriages also meet their ends. However, the priorities in a divorce based on a long-term marriage can be different. Readers are asked to discuss their own divorce concerns and questions with their family law attorneys.