When a couple decides to end their marriage, they need to work together to sort out issues such as child custody and support, visitation rights, and the division of property. Unfortunately, sometimes divorce negotiations become unfriendly, leading to further legal actions and bad feelings on both sides. Readers in New Jersey might be interested to learn about the divorce of Fox News host Bill O'Reilly.
The divorce has been contentious from the start, and the court ordered the couple, who had been married for 15 years, to work with a neutral mediator to help them resolve disagreements over the custody of their two children. However, the news host is alleged to have made some underhanded moves against his wife since they divorced in 2011.
First, he was sued for hiring the mediator, which would be a clear conflict of interest. Now, he is said to be petitioning the Catholic church for an annulment of that marriage. Although it's not always enforced, members of the Catholic Church who divorce and remarry without an annulment are not entitled to receive communion. It was reported that he was using that law against his ex-wife, since she has remarried, trying to prevent her from receiving communion. Some believe the petition for annulment is so that O'Reilly can enter into a new serious relationship.
The end of a marriage usually causes distress for both parties, but hostile disagreements are not inevitable. It is possible for couples to remain civil and keep the focus on their children instead of themselves. Couples who are seeking a divorce may want to work with an attorney to help them resolve their differences in a civil manner.
Source: International Business Times, "Bill O'Reilly's Divorce Gets Ugly; Catholic Church Reportedly Involved," March 18, 2013
