What Katie Holmes wants from Tom Cruise, how much money she'll get, and what this could mean for Scientology.
Cruise and Holmes in March 2011.
Image by MARIO ANZUONI / Reuters
1. Katie filed in New York, citing "irreconcilable differences," which just became legal in the state in 2010.
Before then, people who wanted to divorce in New York had to claim such wrongs as cruelty, abandonment, or adultery to get out of their marriages. New York was the only state in the country without so-called "no-fault" divorce.
Michael Stutman, an attorney and author of How To Divorce in New York, told BuzzFeed Shift that New York state recognizes "celebrity status" as an asset, while California (where Holmes and Cruise have a home) does not. That means Holmes could claim that she's entitled to money for helping burnish Cruise's celebrity status through their marriage. Stutman said that because of this, Cruise might challenge the venue of the divorce and ask that it be moved to a California court.
2. She filed anonymously.
TMZ reports, "Katie's divorce petition was filed anonymously, without names." Stutman explained that an anonymous filing in a case like this is called an "anonymous caption," and would mean the case is referred to in official documents as Anonymous vs. Anonymous or K.H. vs. T.C.. The main purpose of this is to make it more difficult for journalists and others to track the case using New York's electronic case-tracking system — the decision will still be public, and a careful reader will still be able to find clues revealing who the parties are. Stutman also said that simply being a celebrity isn't enough to get an anonymous caption in New York — you usually need to prove that having your name on the case will pose a risk to your personal safety or that of your children.
Holmes and Suri in 2010.
Source: cache.daylife.com
