George Zimmerman, known around the country for his recent Florida trial involving the shooting of a teenager from Sanford, is in the news again because his wife is filing for divorce. According to what Shellie Zimmerman said in an interview with ABC news, the trial put a strain on the couple’s marriage. The paperwork filed states that they have been separated since Aug. 13 and that the marriage is irretrievably broken.
While the couple, who were married in 2007, do not have any children, Shellie is requesting custody of their two dogs. Along with the couple’s pets, she is also requesting the “equitable” division of marital property, which includes both their assets and debts. Based on information from the financial disclosure form, she is currently unemployed and her monthly expenses come to $755, and the couple owes $3,700 for taxes from 2011. The disclosure form also states that George Zimmerman had given Shellie $4,300 for her living expenses from, it appears, his legal defense fund.
In an interview, Shellie Zimmerman stated that the couple faced multiple death threats and were forced into hiding after murder charges were originally levied against her husband. She added that they had to live with security guards in the middle of the woods in a “20-foot trailer.”
Even if a couple going through a divorce is not in the media spotlight, it can be a difficult and stressful time. Major topics such as asset division and spousal support will have to be negotiated, but a lawyer could help someone understand how the state handles these topics as well as work on his or her behalf to come to an equitable agreement or achieve a fair settlement.
Source: ABC News, “George Zimmerman’s Wife Files for Divorce“, Matt Gutman and Miseon Lee, September 05, 2013
