Convicted Former Attorney General Seeks $1 Million in Divorce Case
The Morning Call reported on September 7 that Kathleen Kane, the former Pennsylvania Attorney General who resigned after being convicted of illegally leaking grand jury documents and lying about her actions, filed a petition immediately seeking $1 million from her estranged husband. Kane contends she should receive about $6 million in marital assets in the divorce, and she claimed she needed “a partial distribution of joint assets held by Christopher Kane to pay her attorney’s fees as she prepares for her sentencing and appeal of her conviction on charges of perjury and several other offenses,” according to the Morning Call.
Kathleen Kane’s petition stated that she is now unemployed and has no income other than the $19,000 in alimony and child support Christopher pays. Kathleen’s attorney told the Morning Call that financial records showed that Christopher Kane received more than $8.1 million from his family’s trucking firm, Kane Is Able, and related entities between 2013 and 2015, and he is expected to receive about $1 million this year from the companies.
The Morning Call described Kathleen’s filing as “the latest in a contentious divorce proceeding” she filed in December 2014. A judge previously ordered Christopher to pay Kathleen $100,000 in marital assets after she accused him of improperly draining about $1 million from a joint investment account without her knowledge.
Christopher, meanwhile, filed a motion earlier this year seeking to halt alimony payments because he says Kathleen intentionally delayed resolution of their divorce. According to the Morning Call, he also alleged that Kathleen spent roughly $500,000 of campaign funds to pay her defense fees prior to her trial.
A hearing to determine the amount of alimony Christopher should to pay was set for September 21. A hearing on the petition for partial distribution of assets and the dispute over financial records was set for September 23.
Lawyer for Equitable Distribution in West Chester, PA Divorce Cases
Under 23 Pa. Cons. Stat. 3502, courts are required to “equitably divide, distribute or assign, in kind or otherwise, the marital property between the parties without regard to marital misconduct in such percentages and in such manner as the court deems just after considering all relevant factors” upon the request of either party in an action for divorce or annulment. When a couple seeking a divorce has a particularly high net worth, it can make the process of equitable distribution much more complex and contentious.
Equitable distribution does not mean that a court necessarily has to somehow determine a perfect 50/50 split of all assets involved in a marriage. It only applies to marital property, which is property or assets obtained during the marriage. Personal property obtained before the marriage or certain aspects of one partner’s situation (such as sole custody of children) can impact the amount of property that is awarded to one spouse as opposed to the other.
If you are contemplating divorce in southeastern Pennsylvania, you do not want to have to deal with any additional and unnecessary stress as it relates to a fair distribution of assets. Contact a West Chester divorce lawyer to get legal help advocating for the property that is yours and fighting for the assets you deserve.