Lawyer shares detail in Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's divorce that's 'unheard of' in celebrity divorces
'Bennifer' fans across the globe were left heartbroken last week after Jennifer Lopez officially filed for divorce after two years of marriage to Ben Affleck.
Lopez filed the papers on August 20 - exactly two years on from the celebrity couple's lavish wedding ceremony in Georgia.
There had long been rumors that their marriage was on the rocks in the months leading up Lopez filing for divorce, with Affleck and the Atlas actress putting their Beverly Hills mansion on the market last month.
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More information has come to light about the A-list pair's separation since Lopez filed, including that they officially split back in April.
In regards to the reason cited for their break-up, the 55-year-old put 'irreconcilable differences'.
Explaining exactly what this means, Evan Schein of New York-based family law firm Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein told UNILAD: "Irreconcilable differences is essentially no fault divorce and allows one spouse to file for divorce without alleging grounds or fault. This is the widely used term to file for divorce."
Schein also commented on the fact that Lopez filed the papers without a lawyer representing her.
"It's absolutely unusual for a celebrity to file for divorce without a lawyer," he said. "This is almost unheard of especially when finances are not an issue. It will be interesting to see how this plays out."
It's also been reported that Affleck and Lopez did not draft a prenup before tying the knot two years ago.
Despite this, Schein doesn't think that the celebrity couple's divorce will take too long in comparison to other famously bitter separations - Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's 10 year-long legal battle, for example.
The attorney explained to us: "It is hard to imagine that the celebrity couple did not have a prenup given their status and their respective assets and wealth.
"If they have a prenup in place, then most of the financial terms of their divorce will have already been agreed upon.
"If there is no prenup in place, then there will be many more assets to identify and divide and claims that each may make."
Schein continued: "While having a prenup in place can definitely expedite the divorce, in this particular case and given the relatively short marriage, even in the absence of a prenup, I do not see this celebrity divorce being drawn out.
"It would be in both of their interests to resolve things quickly and out of the public spotlight."
Topics: Celebrity, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Sex and Relationships, News
Niamh Shackleton