jennifer lopez When she filed for divorce from her husband, she made a daring — and probably strategic — transfer. Ben Affleck No want to rent an legal professional.
“She’s most likely sending a message that there will not be a struggle,” movie star divorce lawyer Chris Melcher Unique story US Weekly On Wednesday, August 21, Lopez made her determination.
Melcher is a accomplice on the California legislation agency Walzer Melcher & Yoda and isn’t concerned within the case. Apply, however not listed.
“I imagine it was intentional to ship a message that this was not going to be a struggle,” he reiterated, noting that in California, divorce proceedings are public report, so if Lopez and Affo, 55, find yourself in A prolonged courtroom battle that can thrust it into the highlight.
Melcher mentioned it could “be poisonous to their model” in the event that they fought in courtroom, which is why attorneys imagine Lopez and Affleck “have resolved most of their points previous to the general public submitting.”
“This can be step one that we as the general public see, [but it] It may truly be one of many ultimate phases of their divorce settlement,” he continued, explaining that though Lopez filed for divorce with out authorized assist, she probably had the assistance of an legal professional alongside the best way.

Lopez and Affleck rekindled their romance a yr in the past and acquired married in July 2022. The 2 have been engaged within the early 2000s and later married and had kids with different folks. (Lopez has 16-year-old twins Max and Emme together with her ex-husband Mark Antony. In the meantime, Affleck shares kids Violet, 18, Serafina, 15, and Samuel, 12, along with his ex Jennifer Garner.)
Alf and Lopez sparked combined hypothesis earlier this yr after eagle-eyed followers seen they hadn’t been collectively for 47 days. us It was confirmed in Could that Alfred had moved out of their shared Beverly Hills mansion. Alfred later purchased a brand new home in Los Angeles with out Lopez, and the 2 didn’t have fun their wedding ceremony anniversary collectively final month.
us It was confirmed on Tuesday, August 20, that Lopez filed for divorce in Los Angeles, submitting the paperwork herself as an alternative of hiring an legal professional as she usually would.
Though Lopez set the date of separation as April 26, she waited till the second anniversary of her and Affleck’s wedding ceremony in Georgia to file for divorce. (The singer and actor quietly married in Las Vegas in July 2022 earlier than internet hosting a bigger wedding ceremony for family and friends in August 2022.)
“The timing of the divorce was an enormous deal for Ben,” a supply completely revealed. us After Lopez selected to chop ties with Affleck.
Nonetheless Melcher advised us On Wednesday, Lopez filed for divorce first, which did not give her a lot of a bonus. The “slight” enchancment she receives might be tied to “management of case velocity.”
The lawyer defined that if there have been a trial, Lopez could be the primary to talk as she filed the lawsuit towards Affleck. “The actual good thing about submitting first is to attempt to take the initiative and make it appear to be Jennifer is the one who determined to finish the wedding,” Melcher continued. “However in actuality, there can solely be one applicant and one respondent. Subsequently, there isn’t any joint submitting for divorce.
Melcher famous that in Lopez v. Affleck, “attorneys and accountants might be within the background aiding the events with all the problems, and in these circumstances the ultimate step is to file for divorce as a result of solely a choose can terminate the divorce.” .
He speculated that the actors “could have agreed on the division of briefs they’ve and we’ll see them present up with an agreed-upon divorce decree in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later.”
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