For Illinois couples who have accumulated significant wealth, sorting out the details of a divorce settlement can be a challenge. Many high asset divorce cases also have a degree of contention between parties, although that strife usually abates as the process wears on and both sides begin to focus on their new lives. In some instances, however, wealthy couples behave in astonishingly negative ways during and after a high asset divorce.
An example is found in the divorce of billionaires Bill and Sue Gross. The couple parted in 2017 after being married for 32 years. Although the parties divided an estimated $2.5 billion in assets, they continue to butt heads on various issues. The contention has reached a level where both sides claim to be at risk of harm from the other.
Allegations between the two include trashing a shared home, hiring private investigators to track movements, brandishing a knife and having utility services wrongfully disconnected. Both have appealed to the court to limit the actions of the other, although the courts seem frustrated by an inability to do so. Friends, family members, and employees of the parties share those same frustrations.
It may seem strange that former spouses with so much wealth would continue to fight with one another after their divorce is final. However, some Illinois residents know all too well how contentious a high asset divorce can be, and how those emotions can linger long after the paperwork is all in place. For some, a return to court is the only way to force compliance with a divorce order or settlement.
