On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Tuesday, June 20, 2017.
Missouri residents likely know Mary J. Bilge best for her genre-defining rhythm and blues albums including the Grammy Award-winning ‘The Breakthrough”, but they may not know that the 46-year-old singer, songwriter and actress is currently mired in a contentious divorce. Bilge filed for divorce in July 2016 after more than a decade of marriage, and celebrity gossip websites have speculated that it was her husband’s philandering that prompted her to take legal action.
Bilge and her husband Martin Isaacs entered into a prenuptial agreement before walking down the aisle in 2003, and Bilge claims that the document includes a provision that waives any right toalimony. However, this did not prevent a judge ordering Bilge to pay Isaacs $30,000 per month in temporary support. The multi-platinum performer was also ordered to pay Isaacs’ legal fees.
Bilge claims that she and Isaacs lived an extravagant lifestyle funded largely by borrowing that has left her with little in the way of liquid assets and large amounts of debt. She also says that she made little or no money from her recent European tour and owes a significant amount to the IRS. The singer and songwriter has spoken in interviews about her disappointment with the spousal support order, and she alleges in court documents that Isaacs spent more than $400,000 traveling with another woman.
Couples sometimes seek to avoid the possibility of protracted divorce disputes by entering into prenuptial or postnuptial agreements, but there is no guarantee that these documents will be able to withstand judicial scrutiny. Experienced family law attorneys could explain to couples that prenuptial or postnuptial agreements must be entered into voluntarily and in good faith, and they may also point out that judges could be reluctant to enforce these documents if their terms seem overly one-sided.
