Just weeks after George Zimmerman’s murder trial acquittal and the ensuing media circus, the man’s 26-year-old wife has filed for divorce, according to a news report. She officially filed papers in a Central Florida court, citing the high-profile murder trial as a primary reason for the couple’s strained relationship. According to one report, the woman felt abandoned as her husband left town in the wake of his not guilty verdict. Now, she’s seeking an equitable division of the property the couple obtained during the marriage.
Her court filing places her assets well beneath her total debt, but questions remain about the financial standing of her husband. He has received significant support during and after his murder trial, and under her filing proposal, his wife would be entitled to a percentage of those assets. Though no child custody issues are present, she is seeking custody of the couple’s two dogs.
Florida is a state with unique and ever-changing divorce laws, and in many cases like this one, a couple can save both money and time by coming to an agreement before going to court. Though it is currently unclear whether George Zimmerman has been served with notice of the divorce, his actions in the following weeks may determine whether this divorce goes quickly or drags along in the state’s family courts. In many cases, couples with strong, collaborative divorce attorneys can speed along a dissolution of marriage, allowing couples to place an untenable marriage behind them with a fair financial settlement.
Source: Reuters, “George Zimmerman’s wife files for divorce in Florida, lawyer says,” Kevin Gray, Sept. 5, 2013
