Rupert Murdoch’s divorce from his third wife is all but final. It seems they reached a settlement agreement that presumably divides their assets and details a parenting schedule for their two children. Who did what to whom? Who is the more capable parent? What is the settlement? What did the reported prenuptial and multiple postnuptial agreements say? We will never know and it is for the best.
While the details would have provided entertaining reading about how the other half live, the family will benefit from not having their opinions/positions about each other immortalized in an affidavit or court transcript. While I can only guess what went on behind closed doors, I believe the following quote from their publicist hints that they may have gone into negotiations with a shared goal of dissolving their marriage in a respectful manner, with the needs of their two daughters in the forefront.
“We move forward with mutual respect and a shared interest in the health and happiness of our two daughters,” the Murdoch publicist stated.
By not taking a position and sharing an interest, the Murdochs did not have to divulge the details that would have helped a judge to make a decision about their lives, and would have kept people entertained for hours. They took matters into their own hands and figured it out with a common goal, and thereby they were able to keep private matters private.
Thus, they gave their daughters the best chance of being happy, as they could go through life without knowing, hopefully, what their parents thought of each other. They are left knowing that their welfare guided their parents discussions and kept the matter out of court, and therefore, confidential.
Author: Christine Schmidt
Christine Schmidt, JD began her professional career in social work with a plan to help families transition through difficult periods in their lives. Christine went to law school with an eye toward family law and hoping that she could continue her plan to help families. At William Mitchell College of Law, she was first extern the collaborative law externship. When Christine graduated in 2005, she felt that certain that collaborative law provide families the opportunity to work through the difficult issues of divorce in a manner that served the individual and the families.