From Kim Kardashian and Kanye West to Zoe Kravitz. Divorce is in the air. Esteemed divorce attorney, Dror Bikel from Bikel, Rosenthal & Schanfield talks divorce, prenups, and more.
Transcript:
ONI HIGGINS (OH):
Kim Kardashian is known for breaking the internet. Whether it’s her jaw-dropping fashion styles or a new makeup tutorial, or even some lifestyle content, she’s a social media maven. But this time, she’s trending for something a little bit different. The headlines are saying she’s allegedly divorcing from her husband, Kanye West.
Our next guest is no stranger to the topic of divorce. He’s a high-profile NYC divorce lawyer. Welcome Dror Bikel. How are you?
DROR BIKEL (DB):
Hi, good afternoon. How are you?
OH:
I’m doing good. So, what’s the first thing a person should consider when thinking of divorce?
DB:
The first thing that people need to consider is whether this is going to be an amicable divorce or it’s going to be a high-conflict divorce. Particularly with Kanye and Kim, there’s no question that they had premarital agreements that they entered into before the marriage. Remember, this is her third marriage. She’s used to dealing with lawyers. They were a little older when they got married, in their 30s. So, they for sure had premarital agreements and, therefore, it will likely not be a high-conflict divorce, unless, of course, they fight over the children. But, hopefully, they won’t, and they’ll resolve it amicably.
OH:
Okay. So, let’s talk about prenuptials. There’s a negative connotation surrounding them. What’s the biggest misconception, and why are they important, if they are at all?
DB:
They’re important for people in their second marriage or people that are a little bit older. When you’re in your 20s and you fall in love when you’re young, I’m not sure it’s so important to enter into a prenuptial agreement. But when you’re a little older, when, for some people, it’s their second or third marriage, they have a life, they have assets, they have a career, people like that don’t want to fight if there’s a divorce. That’s when it’s a good idea to get a prenuptial agreement.
OH:
So, how long do divorces last in court? Is it a quick process, or is it a long time?
DB:
That’s a great question. It really depends on the level of conflict. If the parties can learn to get along and to resolve issues amicably, it could be a matter of months. If they’re fighting like cats and dogs over every issue, both assets and custody issues, it could go on for years and years. We have clients we’ve been representing since 2007. It can last a long time.
OH:
Wow. That’s super long. So, you have a book out with a lot of tips. Talk to us about it, and where can we find it?
DB:
The book is called “The 1% Divorce,” and it’s on Amazon. The main tip, and the main thing I tell people, is that the qualities that make for an easy divorce, an inexpensive divorce, are the same qualities that actually make for a good marriage, which is to be kind and to be generous. Try to put your anger and your hurt aside – and you’re entitled to those feelings – but if you want to resolve your divorce amicably, without paying the lawyers a lot of money, please do so. Proceed in a way where you’re generous, and you’re kind, and you’re actually thinking about your spouse first before thinking about yourself. That would lead to an easy, inexpensive divorce.
OH:
We hear that divorces bring out the worst in people. What are your thoughts on that, being a divorce lawyer and doing this for a living?
DB:
It’s the anger and the pain that drives these cases. People want to win. People want to be seen by the courts as the winner. They want somebody to raise their hand and say, “You were right. Your spouse did something wrong. You were injured, and you deserve something as compensation.” And, unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way. The courts are not designed to claim winners and losers. You don’t leave the divorce process, particularly if it’s a litigation, with a feeling of having won anything. It just doesn’t work out that way. I always tell people, “Try to deal with your anger in therapy or in other ways, but not using your anger to fuel the divorce process.”
OH:
Thank you so much for the tips and advice, Dror. Thank you for joining us here at Bold TV.
DB:
Thank you so much for having me.
OH:
Of course.