A man from Saudi Arabia reportedly divorced his wife during a life radio program, in which a prominent Islamic scholar convinced him that his wife had “offended his manhood” by traveling without him, according to a report from the Digital Journal.

The unnamed man apparently requested a divorce from his wife because she went on a business trip without his approval, which is tacitly forbidden in the country, according to sources.

The man had called a radio talk show in which the host, Sheikh Ghazi al-Shammari, discusses marital problems with Saudi men.

When this man told al-Shammari that his wife had traveled alone to Riyadh without his permission, the scholar promptly told him to leave his wife.

In an interview after the program with Al-Arabiya, al-Shammari said that the man’s wife, who had been with her husband for more than a decade, was “suspicious” because she “insisted to travel alone to Riyadh without ample reason.”

When pressed for further explanation about his bold advice, the scholar claimed, “I did not rush with the advice because I saw that the issue was dangerous and that we should not remain silent more about it.”

Apparently, the wife’s decision to send her husband a text message from the airport telling him of her travel plans was the final insult. Since this was perceived as an act of extreme disobedience, the scholar felt comfortable advising the man to begin the divorce process.

And, according to sources, the divorce process in Saudi Arabia is remarkably easy. A man only has to say that he is divorcing his wife three times for the separation to be official. And the ease of legal separation has led to a very high rate of divorce in the country.

In 2010, for example, nearly 19,000 divorces were recorded in the relatively small republic. Sources say a divorce occurs every 30 minutes in Saudi Arabia, which has one of the highest divorce rates in the world.

Even more troubling is the effect of divorce on women in Saudi Arabia, where women are at a severe disadvantage in court, according to sources.

If women want to obtain a divorce, they must go through a lengthy court battle that can often take months. And the husband can delay the proceedings by refusing to show up to hearings.

In contrast to this archaic system, in the United States, women and men have equal rights to seek a divorce, and under the laws of many states, neither party has to prove that the other spouse is at fault.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Chris Harrison, the longtime host of the popular television series, “The Bachelor,” which tries to match and ultimately marry single couples, is filing for divorce from his wife, according to a report from the International Business Times.

Harrison and his wife of 18 years are seeking a legal separation, although they remain confident that their “mutual love and respect” will help them get through the divorce with a minimal impact on their two children, according to a press release the couple released together.

The two appeared to have a happy marriage, as Harrison’s wife described him as “an amazing father” who is “very loving and involved” to People magazine in 2010. His skills as a father, however, were not enough to keep the couple together.

The 40-year-old Harrison’s divorce could serve as a warning to the young contestants on “The Bachelor” franchise, which selects one man and has several women compete to see who he will select as his mate.

On the show, Harrison often acts as the voice of reason in the sea of chaos that can be “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” both of which seem to attract contestants who are perfectly willing to display the full range of human emotions on the small screen.

On the show, Harrison acts as sort of a straight man to the wild characters who have graced the program, and keeps the show from spinning into a satire of itself.

Critics have claimed that the popular show sends the wrong message to young couples looking to get married, as the contestants often know each other for only a small amount of time before deciding to get married at the end of the show.

Of course, Harrison’s divorce from his wife of 18 years shows that the dissolution of marriage is often unpredictable, and the length of time a couple dates before getting married is not necessarily the most important factor when gauging whether a couple contact a divorce lawyer.

Interestingly, some sources are speculating that the newly single Harrison should be the male suitor on the next season of “The Bachelor,” but Harrison claims that this would be highly unlikely.

Instead, Harrison will likely to continue his role as the director of the three-ring circus that is, somewhat mysteriously, one of country’s most popular reality television shows. Harrison can only hope that the marriages of his contestants prove to be more sustainable than his own.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Cesar Millan gained fame and fortune in recent years for his work as television’s “Dog Whisperer,” but his fortune took a big hit recently after his wife successfully filed for divorce, according to a recent report from Fox News.

Millan’s wife filed for divorce from her famous husband in 2010, but the two were unable to hash out a divorce agreement until recently.

And, thanks to TMZ’s tireless efforts to expose the divorce papers of every splitting celebrity couple, we have proof of just how expensive the divorce proved to be for Millan.

Under the terms of the divorce order, Millan was ordered to pay his former wife a one-time sum of $400,000, and he must also pay her $23,000 per month in spousal support.

These are lofty sums, but TMZ also reports that Millan makes roughly $170,000 per month, so the spousal support payments won’t exactly prevent him from feeding and clothing himself.

In addition to the spousal support and lump sum payment, Millan must also pay $10,000 each month in child support for the couple’s two young sons, Andre and Calvin.

Interestingly, a key portion of the divorce agreement was a clause that restricts both parties from releasing any details about their relationship. Sources suggest that Millan was willing to pay a hefty price to secure his former wife’s silence.

In the divorce documents, the parties agreed that any “intimate, personal and/or private information about the other party … including details of their personal and/or sexual relationships” would remain strictly confidential.

And a few words in this clause suggest that someone is worried about sensitive materials being leaked. In the divorce agreement, the parties also agreed that such private information includes any “photograph, film, videotape” or recording of Millan “which is not commercially available.”

So, for several hundred thousand dollars, the “Dog Whisperer” has theoretically prevented any career-threatening footage from being leaked to the public.

The divorce ends a marriage of 18 years between Millan and his wife, who were married well before he gained fame from his television show.

According to sources, Millan will have visitation rights to see his boys on occasion, but his former wife retains primary physical custody of their children.

And the divorce doesn’t seem to have had a detrimental effect on Millan’s career, as he recently played a prominent role at Hispanicize 2012 in Miami. The event was reportedly a big occasion for major Latino performers and entertainers.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

This week, the former president of Yahoo and her banker husband reached a divorce settlement, finally settling a lengthy divorce dispute that revealed the scandalous private lives of some of Silicon Valley’s most successful Internet tycoons.

Susan Decker, the 49-year-old former president of Yahoo, and her 52-year-old husband, Michael Dovey, agreed this week to distribute their real estate, stock, cash, and other assets, which are all valued at roughly $71 million.

The divorce process between Decker and Dovey, who used to be an investment banker, revealed allegations of drug use, infidelity, and spying, according to a report from the Marin Independent Journal.

The couple first filed for divorce way back in 2007, the same year that Decker was promoted to president of Yahoo, and the divorce filing opened the door for deceptive maneuvering by both parties in an effort to undermine the other’s bargaining position.

In 2007, sources leaked a confidential letter sent from Dovey’s attorneys to Decker’s lawyers that claimed Decker had engaged in extramarital affairs, secretly placed recording equipment in the couple’s Laguna Beach home, and used illegal drugs.

In response, Decker’s attorneys leveled similar accusations at Dovey, claiming that the former investment banker had also used illicit substances and had affairs with other women.

In order to sort out these allegations, Dovey’s attorneys had pressed Decker to release emails from her time at Yahoo, and also threatened to have the company’s head of security testify in divorce court, although this never actually happened.

Instead of heading to court for a long, public battle, the two agreed to a divorce settlement that was approved by Marin County Superior Court Judge Verna Adams just hours before a trial was supposed to begin.

In their divorce agreement, the two seemed appropriately embarrassed by their actions. In a joint statement released by Decker and Dovey this week, they said they both “deeply regret” certain statements made in their “acrimonious divorce” that were “reckless and inaccurate.”

Dovey is likely getting a bargain out of the divorce, as he had about $13 million in savings when he left his job at Montgomery Securities in his 30s. Sources suggest that Decker may have had a higher net worth.

Among the properties that were involved in the divorce negotiations were a mansion in Belvedere, a wealthy area along the San Francisco Bay, a condo in Laguna Beach, two condos near Lake Tahoe, and a parcel of land in Napa.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

The wife of Hall of Fame football player Deion Sanders was arrested last week after allegedly assaulting her estranged husband in front of their children, according to a recent report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Police have charged Pilar Sanders with domestic violence after her husband called the police to file a complaint, and the arrest could bode ill for her efforts to secure a divorce settlement in her favor from her husband.

Deion Sanders, who played a starring role for the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys during his long and lucrative career in the NFL, has not kept his wife’s actions hidden from public view.

On his Twitter account last week, Sanders created a post saying, “[p]ray for me and my kids now! They just witnessed their mother and a friend jump me in my room.” Later on Twitter, Sanders remarked that he had called police and that his wife was headed to jail.

After being charged with a misdemeanor family violence charge, Sanders’ 38-year-old wife was booked into jail in Collin County, Texas. Her bond was set just below $300.

The couple married in 1999 during much more favorable circumstances. Their marriage seemed relatively healthy until the past few years, when the two started sniping at each other publicly.

In March, Pilar Sanders sued her husband for the staggering sum of $200 million, claiming that he had posted libelous comments about her online and that he had previously assaulted her.

In her lawsuit, she alleged that her husband had caused her “emotional and physical abuse, mental distress, public humiliation and financial loss,” according to a report from the Dallas Morning News.

Her lawsuit, and alleged altercation with her husband, will not be eyed favorably if the couple engages in a child custody dispute in divorce court.

Most judges today are concerned about granting primary custody to the most responsible parent, and Pilar Sanders doesn’t seem to be displaying award-winning parenting skills. Of course, her husband has helped stoke her rage with his public comments.

In an interview with a Dallas television station, Deion Sanders said his kids “are scared for their life” and asked whether someone was “going to have to die” before a court “does something and get[s] this woman out of my house.”

Of course, Pilar Sanders would tell a different side of the story. Regardless of who has the moral high ground in the couple’s dispute, it is safe to say that the couple’s marriage has seen its final days, and that a divorce appears to be just what the doctor (and the judge and police) ordered.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, a popular Republican politician in Illinois, has finally resolved a lawsuit in which his former wife claimed that he owed more than $100,000 in child support payments, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune.

Sources say that Laura Walsh filed a lawsuit against her husband in 2010, just a month after Walsh was elected to his first term in Congress. She claimed that Walsh owed her $117,437 in unpaid child support and interest payments.

According to sources, Walsh makes $174,000 a year in Congress, but his ex-wife’s attorney claims that, last year, only $2,134 was deducted from his paycheck each month to meet his child support obligations.

As part of the settlement, both Walsh and his former wife agreed in writing that the Congressman was never a “deadbeat dad,” which might aid Walsh as he tries to rebuild his reputation after the fallout from his former wife’s allegations.

The lawsuit was a political black eye for Walsh, and is sure to be highlighted by his opponent, Democrat Tammy Duckworth, when he runs for re-election this year.

And it looks like the couple’s divorce wasn’t as difficult as the political fallout from their dispute. Predictably, both Walsh an Duckworth have used the lawsuit as a political football, as the two have already tossed allegations back and forth like a couple of children in a playground sandbox.

Aids for Duckworth observed that the timing of the settlement—which was conveniently reached during an election year—was suspicious, and they also claimed that Walsh has a pattern of irresponsible behavior, noting that he has had experienced tax liens and foreclosure in the past.

According to Kaitlin Fahey, the campaign manager for Duckworth, “Walsh’s claim that he is not a deadbeat just does not square with the fact that he repeatedly does not pay his taxes or his bills on time.”

In response, Walsh said Duckworth’s allegations were “graceless” and “classless” and claimed that the settlement represented a “good day for my kids” and a “good day for the mother of my kids.”

In his words, “[c]ontrary to popular myth out there, my ex-wife and I have raised three wonderful adult and almost-adult children and we each have been very involved in their lives.”

The race between Walsh and Duckworth, who is strongly backed by key officials in the White House, may be one of the most closely watched Congressional contests in 2012, and the fighting over Walsh’s recent divorce and child support issues only adds more fuel to an already red-hot fire.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa can’t seem to make up their mind about their rumored divorce, according to a breathless report from Fox News.

Sources indicate that, just a few months after Vanessa announced her intention to file for divorce, the celebrity couple was seen canoodling on Valentine’s Day.

And Fox News claims that sources close to Kobe say the basketball star has been “aggressively” trying to save his marriage, and has publicly vowed never to cheat on his wife again.

Infidelity was reportedly the primary reason for Vanessa’s decision to file for divorce. Over the past few years, Vanessa Bryant allegedly caught her husband cheating on her with multiple women.

However, despite their apparent affection on Valentine’s Day, the couple claimed that they were still just “really good friends” and asked for privacy, although the press didn’t seem inclined to grant them their request.

Fast forward two months later, when the couple was seen together at a Los Angeles Kings hockey game with their young daughters. Again, this sighting stoked rumors that the couple was trying to save their marriage.

However, sources say that Vanessa and Kobe Bryant still plan to go through with their divorce, despite their recent outings together, and observers anticipate that the divorce could cost Kobe Bryant millions of dollars.

Because the couple did not sign a prenuptial agreement limiting Vanessa’s ability to collect assets after the divorce, she would likely be able to take half of the couple’s jointly shared assets.

So, if the divorce goes through, sources say Vanessa Bryant would be able to obtain three of the couple’s mansions, which are collectively valued at $18 million.

Despite the speculation about the financial consequences of their divorce, the couple’s willingness to appear in public with their children despite their pending divorce could be interpreted as a sign of real maturity.

Divorcing couples, particularly ones with children, often find that divorce is much more efficient, and mutually agreeable, if the parties remain civil and treat each other with respect. This may be the route Kobe and Vanessa Bryant are taking, and, if so, it is to be commended.

If they can maintain open communication during their divorce, they may be more likely to come to an agreement on child custody that is beneficial for their children and themselves.

Of course, there is still a chance that their marriage is salvageable. The couple’s divorce won’t be finalized until June, so Kobe Bryant has a few more months to convince his wife that their marriage is worth saving.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Remarkably, the divorce rate among military couples has skyrocketed by 42 percent since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001, according to a recent report from the Sacramento Bee.

War puts a tremendous strain on families, particularly young couples with children, so it’s little surprise that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have placed extreme pressure on many marriages, but the numbers are still eye-opening.

Sources indicate that research has shown military couples who have to endure more than one deployment often experience years of separation, which dramatically raises their chances of filing for divorce.

Due to the country’s current involvement in two wars, soldiers have routinely had to serve more than one tour of duty, which can increase their time overseas by several months, or even years.

And military research has discovered that each additional month of service overseas increases the likelihood that one spouse in a military couple will pursue plans to file for divorce or seek an informal separation.

Unfortunately, while the military has made strides in recent decades to better address the mental health and other, less tangible emotional issues experienced by soldiers, the military has been unable to thwart the rising tide of divorces among its service members.

To combat this unsettling trend, two nonprofit organizations, FamilyLife and Military Ministry, have started a joint effort to improve the marriage prospects of solders with a campaign called The Art of Marriage Ops.

According to Dennis Rainey, the president of FamilyLife, the group believes that it “often takes outside forces to keep love alive,” and that the group can help military couples deal with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder, injuries, unemployment, and re-deployment.

The group uses an unsettling amount of military puns to push its cause—it promises to help troops “battle” their marital problems with the aid of “outside reinforcements—which seems to suggest that marriage is something of a battlefield.

Some couples might find this analogy appropriate, but it does reflect one of the problems military families face when a husband or wife returns from war. In brief, it can be very difficult to leave a war zone and reenter the relatively peaceful world of family life.

Nonprofit organizations such as FamilyLife certainly provide much-needed assistance for military couples who are struggling through tough times, but one can’t help but wonder if using the vocabulary of war to address marital issues is a bit unsettling, if not unproductive.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Everyone and their mother has advice about making a healthy split from one’s spouse, but a recent article in the Huffington Post by an actual divorce attorney offers tangible information for people who are considering filing for divorce.

According to this attorney, there are several steps potential divorcees should consider taking in order to maximize their chances of “succeeding” in divorce court.

First, the attorney suggests that spouses headed for a divorce should start the process with their goals in mind. If, for example, they are concerned primarily with leaving the marriage on good terms with their former partner, they should commit themselves to this end.

Sources suggest that, if two people commit to open communication and embrace the spirit of cooperation at the very beginning of the divorce, they may be able to successfully work with a mediator outside of divorce court to iron out their differences.

Of course, if you feel that mistrust and fear could soon enter the equation, you don’t necessarily have to embrace a mediated divorce. Other options always remain.

In addition, the Huffington Post article suggests that people seeking divorce should do their homework and take a long view towards the future. Divorcees should think about where they want to be in five years, how much money they will need to get there, and how they want to handle their children, if they have any.

Divorcing couples should also take a long, hard look at their finances, and make honest assessments of their current income and how it may change after a divorce.

Beyond the practical effects of divorce, individuals should also seek emotional support. Divorce often generates powerful emotions (this, in fact, is a very common feature of divorce), and having a strong emotional safety net can help people deal with feelings like anger, guilt, and grief.

The author of the article warns that people who fail to deal with their emotions before a divorce often experience these feelings during the separation process, which can often result in a divorce that is far more costly and time-consuming than it has to be.

People going through a divorce don’t have to be emotionless automatons, but they can do themselves if they begin to process the emotional aspects of divorce before they enter the negotiation process.

So, if you are headed towards divorce, remember to begin planning early, make an honest assessment of your long-term financial goals, and seek emotional support from sympathetic third parties before the divorce process begins.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Women who are well-organized from the beginning of their divorce often see a less costly and more beneficial divorce outcome, according to a recent Forbes article.

How can organization give women a better chance of success in divorce? The author of the article observes that women should approach the divorce like a business negotiation, and try to make detailed preparations for settlement meetings or, in some cases, an actual divorce trial.

One of the most common mistakes made by women who are approaching a divorce is to fail to gather enough relevant information to help steer the divorce in their favor.

In order to prepare themselves for a divorce, women should first gather all their important financial documents. These papers often include bank account information, credit card bills, mortgages, tax returns, and any proof of bonds or stock investments.

Forbes also advises making copies of these documents and giving them to a trusted friend or family member, or instead store them in a safe deposit box, keeping the documents safe from the women’s husbands.

While this tip may seem a bit too cynical, several divorce experts have offered similar advice in the past, so women may be best served to exercise some caution with their financial documents.

After compiling these documents women who are entering a divorce should make a detailed analysis of their lifestyle. In this analysis, women should calculate exactly how much living expense they accrued during a typical month of their marriage.

By offering a detailed, thorough checklist of their lifestyle expenses to a divorce court, women who are not the primary breadwinners in their families may be more likely to receive the full amount of alimony that they are entitled to under their state’s divorce laws.

During this information-gathering period, women should also start to carefully watch their spending. If they discover that more expenses are being paid by the couple than the amount of assets they have, their husbands may be hiding assets.

Again, this seems a bit cynical, but sources say that husbands conceal assets from wives much more often than most women would expect.

Finally, women should also open new credit card and bank accounts in their name. Sources suggest that obtaining these accounts may be easier before the divorce, so women anticipating a divorce should try to open their own accounts before the divorce is processed.

By taking these simple steps, women may be able to further empower themselves during the divorce process. Preparation, organization, and careful research may all contribute to a better divorce outcome.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.