A divorce lawyer has revealed some of the strangest rows she has ever seen – with clients fighting over everything from batteries to horse semen.
Holly J Moore, from Southern California, has been a lawyer for more than 16 years and, having handled more than 2,000 divorces, has seen some truly bizarre things happen.
The 43-year-old, who also don prenuptial agreements and child custody cases, has a wide range of clients from your “average Joe” to NFL stars – and even had a client who was in the FBI witness protection program.
Holly regularly shares advice and tidbits from her career on social media and entertains and informs her 224,000 followers on Instagram.
Now the expert explains how messy marriages and divorces can actually be.
Holly J Moore, from Southern California, has been a lawyer for more than 16 years and, after handling more than 2,000 divorces, has seen some truly bizarre things
The 43-year-old, who has been married to husband Jeff for 20 years, regularly shares advice and tidbits from her career on social media and entertains and informs her 224,000 followers on Instagram.
Holly said: ‘I’ve had some really interesting cases – certainly some that were eye-opening.
‘I had one marriage contract where the most important asset was horse semen for breeding. TThey had a very expensive horse and they wanted to protect the semen of that horse.
‘That was certainly a first for me, but I found it interesting.
‘Everything has its own little world, so I didn’t know the world of horse racing, it was fascinating.’
She continued, “In another case, I represented the husband (in a divorce).
“We were going through the spreadsheet of everything that was staying in the house and valued, such as the sofa, two large dining sets, etc.”
“The woman asked, ‘What about all the batteries?’
‘She wanted to know about the batteries in the TV remote and the wall clock, things like that. That was a bit bizarre.”
Now the expert explains how messy marriages and divorces can actually be
Elsewhere, Holly dished: “II also represented someone in the witness protection program, where the FBI handled everything, which was very fascinating.
“And I’ve worked with professional athletes and NFL stars who get paid per touchdown.”
She added: “I just had a prenup where someone had hundreds of thousands of sea coral that he wanted to protect.
“He was also a professional pinball player, which I didn’t know existed.
“I’m (regularly) exposed to new things and need to learn at least a little about them so I can represent them well.”
The graduate of Western State University in Orange County charges a pretty penny for her work at an hourly rate of $600.
But by sharing some tips for free, Holly debunked a common myth about divorce, explaining: ‘A Many people think that things are split 50/50, but this is a big misconception.
The graduate of Western State University in Orange County charges a pretty penny for her work with an hourly rate of $600
For those who want to tie the knot, the lawyer also urges that you always have a prenuptial agreement drawn up, even if you do not sign it.
“(As an example): California is a community property state. This means that things acquired during the marriage are divided equally, but not things acquired previouslyThere are so many complex nuances with credits, refunds and loopholes.
“People also think that when they leave the house they give up their rights to it, but that’s just not true.”
For those who want to tie the knot, the lawyer also urges that you always have a prenuptial agreement drawn up, even if you do not sign it.
While she doesn’t recommend it, she says it serves as a way to facilitate all the difficult conversations that need to be had before marriage.
‘People put so much emphasis on the wedding that the actual wedding falls apart and that is a big mistake.
‘Nothing good comes easy and every relationship will have highs and lows.
“I’m an old soul, but I think everyone gives up too easily: quitting your job (and) divorcing your partner.”
Holly herself has been married to her husband, Jeff, who is now 46, for 20 years.
She believes the key to a happy union is sharing core values, adding: ‘The key to a happy marriage actually starts with marrying the right person.
She believes the key to a happy marriage is sharing core values, adding: ‘The key to a happy marriage really starts with marrying the right person’
‘It often happens that people get divorced and talk about things that are wrong with the relationship and their partner, which they already knew before they got married.
‘Similar core values are extremely important. A lot of marital disagreement revolves around a difference in worldview, different opinions about raising children (and) even a difference in work ethics.”
Holly concluded, “Every divorce comes down to one thing: the other person not getting their basic human needs met.
‘We all have four specific human needs: to feel special, to experience variety in both emotions and our practical lives, to have the stability of basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter, and to be loved and cared for.
‘When I look at all divorces, one or both people lack one or more of those basic needs.
“It manifests itself in so many different ways, like infidelity, addiction, abuse, but these are symptoms of an underlying problem.”