Family Law

The YouTube Divorce Video

By Ben Stevens

The news media is abuzz this morning about former actress and playwright Tricia Walsh-Smith's YouTube video in which she rants about her divorce case.  Apparently, she is upset that she signed a pre-nuptial agreement, and she has chosen to air all of her husband's dirty laundry in public via YouTube.

Is this a good idea?  Not in a million years!  All she is doing is putting information out there that at best will irritate or anger the judge and at worst will be give her husband additional ammunition to use against her in the divorce case.  I can only imagine how upset Ms. Walsh-Smith's attorney is this morning at the mess his client has created for herself.

This is a perfect example of a divorce party having a half-baked idea and then acting on it without thinking through all of the ramifications.  I had a case years ago where my client's wife had cut off one sleeve on all of his business suits.  It probably made her feel better at the time, but she certainly was not laughing once the judge had his say on her actions.

You can view the video below, and you can also read more about this situation in the Chicago Tribune, London Daily-Mail, CNN, Washington Post, People magazine, and the Los Angeles Times.

Full post as published by SC Family Law Blog on April 17, 2008 (boomark / email).