If you're seeking divorce advice in Pasadena and you think might have a brilliant plan to get out of splitting half of your assets, you might want to think again. The New York Post is reporting that billionaire Henry Silverman's "ingenious" idea to save his fortune from his wife's clutches has been squashed by a New York judge.
Silverman made a bundle of money - an estimated $450 million - from Cendant Corp. during his long-term marriage to wife Nancy. So when the two headed to divorce court to split up their property and assets, Silverman and his legal team took a novel approach to the "that's mine, this is yours" argument. They attempted to prove that Silverman is an "innate genius" by submitting testimony from psychological experts who could vouch for his extraordinary intelligence. Silverman and his legal team hoped proof of his natural genius would clearly show that Nancy had nothing to do with his financial and professional success. Despite Silverman's efforts, State Supreme Court Judge Laura Dragger banned the evidence from being used in the divorce case.
Divorce lawyer Raoul Felder told The New York Post in an interview that Silverman was grasping at straws.
"Good try, but no cigar," Felder said. "If it had worked, anyone who made a lot of money would bring their obstetrician when they got divorced to prove they were geniuses [from the day they were born]. The judge had it right."
Henry and Nancy Silverman have been deadlocked in their divorce case since 2008. The thirty-year marriage of the Silvermans came crashing down after Henry left his wife for a yoga instructor he met at Starbucks. Since then, the pair has been in and out of court trying to finalize their divorce. The Silvermans have one child together.