Elliot Heidelberger says Griffin Divorce Shows Importance of Communication

Chicago, illinois, January 27, 2015 (Newswire.com) - The divorce of the wealthiest man in Illinois has taken a nasty turn. According to his wife, billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin has banned her and the couple's children from several family homes. He also reportedly threatened to sue her until she had no money left. His attorneys say that he has complied with all the terms of their prenuptial and that he has only resisted outrageous requests for support.

Elliot Heidelberger, a divorce lawyer in Chicago, says that this kind of feuding is common when the two parties are unable to negotiate in a professional and mutually beneficial manner. "People think that money makes the process easier," he said. "In many cases, it makes it worse, because both sides can afford to endlessly litigate the process."

According to a filing from Anne Dias Griffin, Mr. Griffin sent her a letter notifying her that she was no longer allowed to live in their marital residence, a two-story penthouse on 800 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. She says that he also claimed he would stop paying the carrying costs of the residence.

Mr. Griffin's representatives have said that their client has paid Mrs. Griffin more than $37 million, per the terms of their prenuptial agreement. They also said that has met all of his child support requirements and paid some non-required expenses, like a $450,000 vacation and a $10,000,000 gift to Harvard in her name.

Mr. Heidelberger says it's almost impossible to know who is telling the truth in these situations. He said, "Often, divorces can reach an emotional intensity level in which it's hard to tell fact from fiction. It's very hard 'win' a divorce. I advise my clients to determine their priorities and work towards achieving those objectives. It almost always requires communication and some give-and-take."