Jennifer Lopez, 55, and Ben Affleck, 52, are facing a high-stakes financial split as they head toward divorce reportedly without a prenuptial agreement, potentially putting their combined fortune — variously estimated as high as $640 million — on the line. The couple, who married in 2022, must now hash out their assets, as all earnings accumulated during their two-year marriage are considered community property under California law.
This could get messy, but experts don’t think that it will.
Lopez Pulled the Trigger
On Tuesday, Aug. 20, Lopez filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court, listing the date of separation as April 26, 2024. The filing, notably done without an attorney, suggests Lopez’s determination to move forward quickly.
Marilyn Chinitz, a matrimonial partner at Blank Rome LLP, offered insight into this decision to People magazine, stating, “I think that she most likely just wanted to get this done, [that] there was a lot of hesitation and hemming and hawing back and forth, and it’s a statement, ‘I’m moving forward, I’m filing and I’m doing it on my own.'”
Multimillion Dollar Money Matters
The absence of a prenuptial agreement could significantly impact how the couple’s wealth is divided.
Chinitz noted that couples typically forgo prenuptial agreements only when substantial assets have already been placed in trust for their children, shielding them from being considered community property.
However, in this case both Lopez and Affleck may be working with a mediator to reach an amicable settlement.
California-based family law attorney David Glass echoed this sentiment, suggesting, “Sometimes when people work with a mediator, they hire a neutral third party, either a retired judge or a very experienced attorney who doesn’t represent either of the parties, but it helps them to mediate.”
The stakes are high, with significant assets in play, including the couple’s $60 million Beverly Hills mansion, which they purchased as a marital home last year. The property, featuring 12 bedrooms and 24 bathrooms across 38,000 square feet, was listed for $65 million in June and later relisted for $68 million in July after renovations, Radar Online reports.
Affleck has already moved out of the mansion and purchased a $20.5 million “bachelor pad” in the Pacific Palisades.
In addition to real estate, the couple’s film earnings will also be a key factor in the division of assets. Since their marriage, both Lopez and Affleck have been involved in several high-profile projects. Lopez starred in “Shotgun Wedding” (2022), “The Mother” (2023), and the upcoming “This Is Me…Now” and “Atlas” (2024). Affleck, meanwhile, starred in “Air” and “Hypnotic,” produced “The Instigators,” and just wrapped filming “The Accountant 2.”
Celebrity divorce attorney Chris Melcher, spoke to Us Weekly and told the outlet he believes the couple is keen to avoid a public legal battle, which could be “toxic to their brand.” He suggested that Lopez’s pro se filing might be a signal that “there’s not going to be a fight.”
With no children together, the division of assets remains the primary focus of the divorce proceedings.
Lopez, who has twins Max and Emme, 16, with ex-husband Marc Anthony, and Affleck, who shares three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, will not face custody issues, simplifying the process to some extent.
As the couple navigates this financial and emotional split, the absence of a prenuptial agreement may lead to a more complex and potentially drawn-out settlement process, with significant implications for both their personal and professional lives.
That is … unless they are as amicable as they have suggested and work everything out without a fuss, sparing fans that love the Bennifer combo more splashy headlines about the estranged couple’s discord.
