The final round of the National Basketball League's annual championship tournament is rapidly approaching, and many Minnesota residents are interested in its outcome. Some are excited to see which team will prevail. Others are curious to see how off the court family law drama will play out for one of the team's owners.
Donald Sterling is the embattled owner of the Los Angeles Clippers team. In the last several months, he has been caught in a scandal that involved him making racist comments that were recorded and distributed to the media. The NBA commissioner banned him from involvement in the league and fined him in excess of $2 million.
The family law component of this story comes from the fact that he is estranged from his wife of more than 50 years, who is also a part-owner of the Clippers. Mrs. Sterling has acquired divorce paperwork, but has not yet filed. It is suspected that she hopes to retain her one-half interest in the basketball team, even if her husband is forced to sell his share.
If the Sterlings divorce, then their assets, including the Clippers, will fall under the temporary management of the family law court hearing their case. Their business assets would be tied up in their divorce, and the fate of the team's place in the league could be threatened. If divorce papers are filed, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, as well as the NBA, may have vested interests in how the court handles the team.
Divorce can be very complicated even when business assets are not involved. Couples who hold significant assets together can find their property tied up for significant periods of time, while property division agreements are negotiated. Though some individuals choose to tackle such matters on their own, others use the services of divorce attorneys to see them through their marital dissolution matters.
Source: USA Today, "Shelly Sterling is holding back signed divorce papers," Brent Schrotenboer, May 14, 2014
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