Family Law

San Jose Family Law Attorney offers commentary on the divorce that threatens control of the Los Angeles Dodgers

By Scott Sagaria

San Jose Family Law Attorney offers commentary on the divorce that threatens control of the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Philadelphia Phillies may not be the only thing on the minds of the Los Angeles Dodgers front office this week. The divorce filing of Frank and Jamie McCourt, the owner and chief executive officer respectively of the Los Angeles Dodgers has created some interesting division of property issues during the National League Championship Series.  In 2004 the McCourt?s purchased control of the Dodgers, and their divorce may create a struggle for control since Ms. McCourt is arguing that the ownership of the team should be divided up as community property, leaving each person with a 50% interest in the team.

This is not the first time that a California sports team has had a divorce settlement affect its ownership.  The San Diego Padres were considered community property and were sold during the divorce of the team?s owners John and Becky Moores.  In that case Mr. Moores wished to buy out his wife?s interest in the team, but the only way he could raise the cash necessary to do so was to sell the team.

California community property law states that if you are married or are in a registered domestic partner relationship, that assets earned by either partner are considered to be community property and thus divided equally in the event of a dissolution of marriage or ending of a domestic partner agreement.

This case highlights how a non-amicable divorce can affect not just the couple and their children.  In this case, it affects a baseball team playing for a chance to go to the World Series.  It also affects a city and the team?s legions of fans who wonder what direction the team will take if the ownership changes.

Here at Sagaria Law, we offer a full range of family law and legal services including  divorce,  paternity, adoption, child custody and visitation matters, child support, spousal support, alimony, juvenile dependency, domestic violence, division of property, grandparent visitation and custody, etc. We have seven California locations including San Jose, San Francisco, Redwood City, Fremont, San Diego, Roseville and Sacramento. We offer a free thirty minute consultation, either in person at any of our offices, or over the phone. Call our offices today and we can connect you with an attorney immediately or we can schedule your free consultation with one of our family law attorneys : (408) 279-2288 or (800) 941-6730 or visit www.sagarialaw.com.

Full post as published by California Family Law Blog on October 21, 2009 (boomark / email).