Going through a divorce is hard, but finding out that your husband took a collection of art worth millions from the home before filing for a divorce can add to the shock. That’s what happened with this millionaire couple, who is now in a dispute.
According to the wife, she had collected the art, which is worth around $25 million, during their marriage. While she was overseas in Europe, she claims her husband took the art out of the home and hid it, which she believes is unlawful and illegal. The property should be considered marital property, she points out.
The woman’s attorney has reported that the man didn’t have the right to take the artwork or to try to sell it, because the laws of the state say that no assets can be disturbed when a matrimonial case is in process. This is because it’s vital for all assets to be accounted for before being subjected to equitable distribution, where it is then split between the couple in a fair and equitable manner.
The man’s attorney claims that the artwork is the man’s and that the woman knew he was going to take it out of the property. To make matters worse, the man has allegedly already put one piece up for auction and filed for divorce in Monaco, where shared property doesn’t exist. The man’s wife claims he is not legally able to file for divorce in Monaco because neither of them has lived there.
Marriage and divorce can become complicated, especially if you’ve lived in multiple states or countries during your time together. It’s important to make sure everything is done legally, so you receive what you’re entitled to by law.
Source: Divorce Magazine, “Husband Files for Divorce After Taking $25M Worth of Art,” Avital Borisovsky, Nov. 13, 2015