State Law

Thoughts on the Douglas-David Divorce: Pedroia > Countess

By Ryan

On a normal day, the halls of Hartford Family Court are a strange place to be.

If you’ve never been, the building is mostly one giant hallway.  Even on slow days, the building feels like a crowded subway car. Too many people, too few seats. Sometimes it’s hot. Sometimes, like a subway car people don’t shower before entering.

On most days, the scene in the hallways would make for great reality TV. People are complaining about this or that, airing their dirty laundry, and are generally on edge.

Yesterday was no different.

Well, no different if you exclude the camera crews, “journalists”, armies of lawyers, a Swedish Countess, and people looking for “cheap” entertainment on someone elses dime.

I walked into court just ahead of the countesses lawyers who chatted it up with the cameramen paparazzi from what appeared to be what’s left of the Hartford Courant.

When I cleared security, I saw the Countess.

She’s hard to miss: very tall, blonde and Swedish. She’s pretty.

Like many others in the hallway she was waiting for court to open to have her case heard. When the doors to the court opened at about 10:00, I thought for a second that a black hole had been created in Hartford Family court as all of the sudden the armies of lawyers, “journalists”, and voyeurs were sucked into a small court room.

Really, I don’t get it. In part it’s charming that Hartford seems fixated on this divorce. It shows that we’re still a small town. In NY or LA, this trial would get the attention it deserves - none.

In looking at the Countess’ financial affidavit it lists her weekly legal expenses as “unknown” I get a kick out of this. Judging by how many lawyers she has, it wouldn’t surprise me if this trial is costing her $5,000.00 an hour. I could be wrong but that number could also be low.

In what world is a 100 million dollars (plus $130,000 a month in alimony) for a 7 year marriage “a fair and equitable” division of marital assets?

From what I read, Mr. David has offered 43 million dollars to settle the case.  In what world is that not fair and equitable? That’s generous!

I think I’m a great husband but there’s no way my wife should have to pay me 43 million dollars if she wanted to divorce me. None.

Hell, this winter, AL MVP Dustin Pedroia, signed a 6 year contract with the Red Sox for 40.5 million dollars!

Pedroia > Countess.

We’re in upside down world here in Connecticut.

Just because I think she’s being greedy (I say this having formed my own opinion from being 5 feet away from the countess): News to wealthy men, a 100 million dollars or even 43 million dollars doesn’t go as far as it used to.

Full post as published by A Connecticut Law Blog on March 26, 2009 (boomark / email).