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Former Yahoo executive settles heated divorce, avoids trial

After spending nearly five years battling over the terms of their divorce, ex-Yahoo president Susan Decker and her husband, a former investment banker, have finally reached a settlement out of court. Likewise, Minnesota couples who are dealing with the prospect of complex asset division should know that a mutually-beneficial settlement can be reached, even after a lengthy dispute.

In order to hammer out the last details of their settlement, Decker and her soon-to-be ex-spouse were set to appear in court. However, the announcement of an out of court settlement came just hours before the trial was set to begin. Though the business savvy couple came to terms with each other, they spent many years entwined in a bitter dispute.

Shortly after the couple filed for divorce in 2007, they attempted to work out a child custody arrangement. During that time, allegations came forth from the husband's legal team that Decker had an affair, attempted to spy on her husband and used illegal drugs. Similar claims came forth about Decker's husband as well. Fortunately for their three children, a custody arrangement was eventually created.

After the tumultuous custody proceedings, the couple had trouble determining how to split their estimated $71 million in physical and financial assets. While they attempted to come to a property division agreement, Decker's business dealings with Yahoo came into question. Numerous subpoenas were issued to obtain Decker's records and communications from her tenure at the technology firm.

In cases that couples have complex assets or highly-valued real estate holdings, there are a lot of questions that can be raised by either spouse. For instance, one party can dispute the real value of an asset, which can have a significant impact on the final settlement. Whenever there is a dispute over asset valuation, it is a sound idea to get an unbiased assessment.

Fortunately, for the sake of the couple's children, they were able to determine who would obtain their jointly-held real estate holdings and financial assets. It's understandable that emotions can prevent a couple from proceeding with their split in an amicable fashion, but this case proves that it's possible for couples who were once engaged in a clash to come together and reach an equitable settlement.

Source: USA Today, "Ex-Yahoo power couple avoids trial with divorce settlement," April 23, 2012

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