If you have been through a divorce recently you may have had a nasty Divorce settlement that has left you pretty skint, or perhaps you think your partner took an unfair amount of your money? Spare a thought for these 10 divorcees who had to shell out billions!

Here are the top 10 highest divorce settlements to date:

• Rupert Murdoch and Anna Murdoch – $1.7 billion
  Rupert married Anna in the 60s, and after 32 years of marriage, three children and lots of media speculation the pair separated in 1998. The split was said to be amicable and the divorce went through in June 1999 when Anna Murdoch left with $1.7 billion. Only 17 days after his divorce was finalised Rupert Murdoch married Wendi Deng.
• Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi – $874 million
  Adnan Khashoggi is a Saudi businesman who made his money as an international arms dealer working for the Saudi royal family. His riches increased as he set up a company in Switzerland, Triad, that tok over banks, hotels and real estate all over the world. Adnan married his former wife Soraya in 1961 but in 1982 their divorce cost him a staggering $874 million, bear in mind this was 28 years ago and due to inflation was probably worth more than todays millions.
• Craig and Wendy McCaw – $460 million
  Craig McCaw is an entrepeneur worthy of Dragons Den status as he made his money turning businesses around and growing them to sell on at huge profits. His first success was a TV cable service which Craig turned into successful business and sold for $755 million. In 1981 he had the forsight to aquire cellular phone licenses, which he was able to sell to a phone company AT&T for  $12 billion, becoming its largest single shareholder.
  Craig and Wendy were University sweethearts who met at Stanford University when Wendy tutored Craig, they married in 1974. In 1995 the divorce went through and Wendy’s significant pay out was allowed as she had to support the lifestyle she was now used to, costing appoximately $200,000 a month!
• Roman and Irina Abramovich – $300 million
  Roman and Irina Abromovich were in the media alot during their divorce proceedings and many speculated that the settlement could have left Irena as the world’s richest ever divorcee. However Russian news sources suggeest that Mrs Abramovich settled for $300m (£155m). The $300m figure included the value of the couples homes in Britain and Moscow, as well as ownership of a yacht and private plane. It seems Roman Abramovich got away quite lightly as at one point many thought he would have to pay out at least $1 billion.
• Michael and Maya Polsky – $184 million
  Energy Magnate Michael Polsky married Maya in the Ukraine in 1975 and reports have said that after they married they traveled to America with only 4 suitcases and $500 cash to find their dreams. Things seemed to go well for the couple until their split in 2003 where Maya filed for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. In 2006 after a long and drawn out divorce battle a judge in Chicago ruled that Maya Polsky should be entitled to half of the couples assets and she was awarded $184million!
• John ‘Jack’ Welch and Jane Beasley – $180 million
  John ‘Jack’ Welch was the Chairman and CEO of General Electric, the worlds largest technology and service conglomerate which is based in New York. Mr and Mrs Beasley married in April 1989, and divorced 14 years later in 2003. Reports say that Welch hadwritten a prenuptial agreement, however the prenupt had a 10-year time limit. Those extra four years of marriage entitled Jane Beaslet to walk away with $180 million.
• Michael and Juanita Jordan – $168million
  In 2007 the former Chicago Bulls Basketball player Michael Jordan divorced his wife of 18 years in a celebrity fuelled media fest that had everyone wondering how much he would have to pay his former spouse. Juanita Vanoy had previously filed for a divorce in 2002 but apparently the couple had made the marriage work for a further 5 years before eventually splitting for good. Juanita agreed a settlement but reports suggest that Michael and Juanita negotiated an additional $20 million to be added to the final sum after the settlement was agreed in principal.
• Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey – $150 million
  This wasn’t the first divorce singing legend Neil Diamond has had to shell out for as he was actually still married to his first wife when he met Marcia Murphey in 1994.
  Their isn’t much information over the cause of the split or how the settlement was agreed but Neil Diamond claims he was happy to give his ex wife the money.
• Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving – $100 million
  Both stars in their own rights Amy Irving was thrown into the limelight in 1976 when she played the lone teen survivor in the classic movie Carrie. Spielberg got his big break in in Hollywood after the production of the film Jaws and has gone on to make many succesful blockbuster movies. The couple married in 1985, however the marriage didn’t last long and the couple split up only four years later. Irving, the mother of their son Max was awarded $100 million from Spielberg.
• John and Beverly Charman – $95 million
  These childhood sweethearts met at School in1969 they married in 1976 with no real wealth or assets. However by the time of their split in November 2003 John Charman had been dubbed “King of the London Insurance Market”, Mr Charman reportedly told his wife he was leaving for Bermuda and their marriage was over. The divorce got messy after John Charman offered his ex wife £6 million cash, however Beverly argued this was not enough. After many court hearings a  judge decided a fair settlement would be for John Charman to give Beverly  37 per cent of his assets. Mr Charman apealed but this was quickly dismissed, this is thought to be the highest divoce settlement in Britain to date.

There are many other celebrity marriages on the rocks and many of these high sums were from years ago, we will see if the likes of Tiger Woods will soon be topping the Divorce settlement charts after his infidelity. What are your thoughts? Discuss at the My Mad Ex Divorce Forum.

News has come out today that Michael Jacksons parents are looking to get divorced after 60 years together. Over the years there have been reports of trouble in the marriage but this is the first time divorce has been mentioned. It is unclear if this is true or if it is just a rumour but it seems Katherine and Joe Jackson’s relationship is on the rocks.

Marriages in the limelight are always put under additional pressure and the past year has been very emotional for the Jackson family after the death of Micheal Jackson, public appearances and tributes as well as court appearances to determine any suspicious circumstances over Michael Jacksons death. All of these combined would put a strain on most peoples relationship.

There have been many rumours surrounding Joe Jacksons behaviour including gossip around domestic abuse for his wife as well as his children. But 60 years is an accomplishment in any marriage let a lone one that is constantly being inspected under the bright lights of showbiz.

The latest reports state that it is Katherine Jackson, Michael Jacksons mother, who has filed for divorce after she was disgusted at her husband Joe’s behaviour over Michael Jacksons death. She has been appauled by her husbands conduct after the stars unexpected death rocked the family and the world.

If this is true and the couple are divorcing it does not come as a huge surprise as the couple have been living in different houses for years, but Katherine had always refused to divorce Joe Jackson for religious reasons, she is a practising Jehovas Witness and divorce is against their beliefs.

Cougar is a recent term that describes an older single woman that preys on younger men for a relationship, Cougars are generally very attractive and well presented although some argue they are dressed too young for their age. Cougars tend to be divorced or separated, and some have families but they all embrace their new found singledom to have fun and meet younger attractive young men.

The term Cougar has become very popular with TV shows like Cougar Town, How I met your mother and other shows that make reference to the phenomenom. The older person with younger person in a relationship has always stereotypically been the sugar daddy with beautiful young women as their partners. These relationships are often assosciated with the stereotype of a golddigger female as most people feel a young attractive woman will only go with an older man if it is for their money.

The Cougar is a different stereotype, at first I thought it was the female equivalent of a Sugar Daddy, as equal rights come into play why shuoldn’t women have the same fun as men? However the Cougar is much more as younger men are attracted to these older women for their experience (culture and sexual), and these women often look amazing for their age- or any age! Think Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher.

Women who become Cougars are typically women who married or got into a long term relationship very young, they often have children and are single mums but have some disposable income for nice clothes, grooming and going out. But in reality Cougars are any older woman that has come out of a relationship and wants fun, they often choose younger men as they are less likely to pressure into settling down quickly.

Studies have showed, from dating site stats, that the Cougar is actually a myth and older women are not actually preying on younger men in this way. Many consider the Cougar to be a myth developed by dating agencies who want to push together the older sophistcated woman with the toy boy. However from most surveys and dating site activities it seems women are looking for someone the same age or older.

What do you think? Are you a Cougar? Do you know a Cougar? Do you think there is no such thing as a Cougar and it is all in the media? Discuss your thoughts on our Divorce Forum.

The summer holidays should be a fun time for families, spending time with the kids and better weather, but the summer holidays can be one of the biggest times of the year for couples separating.

January has the highest yearly divorce rates but September is close behind, so what is is about holidays that seem to make more people split up and get separated or divorced?

Does the hot weather get you hot under the collar? Do short skirts in summer months tempt huspands and partners to stray? Most people think that the added strain of spending a lot of time with your family dusing holidays is a factor to speed up a relationship that is heading for divorce. Summer holidays is a stressful time when families are pushed together and their is the expectance that you will go on holidays together.

This corresponds with the figures from Christmas break ups where you are often confined not only with your immediate family but also extended families. This with money worries can often antagonise a relationship and be the trigger that pushes a couple to separate or divorce.

In the summer holidays many couples have to put their children first, if you children go to school, you have to take time off work to look after them or find additional money for childcare. This can cause arguments as many companies will not let you have 6 weeks off all year let a lone just for summer as well as the half terms, easter, and Christmas holidays. This means couples have to juggle time off, enlist in help from friends and relatives or shell out on childcare which can be very expensive per child. These pressures are difficult to get through at the best of times ut if your relationship is already a bit rocky then this would explain the increase in separations and divorce after the summer holidays.

What do you think contributes to Summer separations? Did you split with your ex over the summer holidays? Do you think other factors are involved that we haven’t looked at? Discuss this and more at the My Mad Ex Divorce and Separation forum. To discuss Summer separations go to the individual forum discussion!

Fantasia Barrino who won American Idol 3 in 2004 has allegedly been caught up in a divorce scandal! Fantasia, the American Idol and nominee for 8 Grammy’s has been acused of recording illicit sexual activity in her affair with a married man! All of these revelations have been coming out in divorce
court documents.

The victim in the courts is Paula Cook, who is separated from her husband Antwaun Cook with whom Fantasia is to have had the alleged affair. Paula Cook filed divorce dovuments in June and states that the illicit affair was recorded and Fantasia has videos and images of their sexual encounters.

According to court documents, Fantasia Barrino and Anwaun Cook started the affair last year in August apparently meeting at a T-Mobile store where Antuwaun Cook works and served Barrino. Of course the affair was picked up quickly by the tabloids and gossip columns where they first reported the affair in November 2009 only a few months after the pair allegedly met.

In this case the infidelity is affecting more than the couple involved as the pair have 2 children, of whom Paula Cook is petitioning to get full custody, and forcing the childrens father Antwaun Cook, to provide her with alimony, child support, solicitors fees as well as full ownership of their home.

What are your thoughts, was Fantasia Barrino stupid for getting involved with a married man? Is she to blame? Was the relationship in trouble before Fantasia met Anwaun Cook? Share your thoughts on the My Mad Ex Divorce forum.