What celebs look for in a divorce lawyer
Representing Kim Kardashian in her split from Kanye West is lawyer Laura Wasser, who is no stranger to high-profile cases.
Following months of speculation, on Friday it was confirmed: Kim Kardashian West has filed for divorce from her husband of almost seven years, Kanye West. According to reports the separation is amicable, with Kardashian requesting joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s four children, North (7-years-old), Saint (5), Chicago (3) and Psalm (1).
But the amicability of the divorce hasn’t stopped Kardashian from investing in the best possible legal counsel. Laura Wasser, one of Hollywood’s most prominent divorce attorneys, will be representing Kardashian throughout the proceedings, bringing years of experience (and victories) to the case.
Wasser, who is colloquially referred to as ‘disso Queen’ by those in the business after her proven aptitude for ‘dissolving’ marriages, has a client list that reads a bit like a Golden Globes seating plan: she’s handled proceedings for Angelina Jolie in her ongoing break with Brad Pitt, and has represented Ryan Reynolds, Dr Dre, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, just to name a few.
This isn’t Wasser and Kardashian’s first time working together, either. In 2013, Kardashian hired Wasser to work on her divorce with former NBA player Kris Humphries, to whom she was famously married to for 72 days.
She may have a track record of delivering favourable results in high-stakes situations for very famous clients, but this isn’t the only reason people seek Wasser out. Here, we take a look at the skills, tactics and expertise that make Wasser so successful in the court of law.
Family and divorce law runs in her family
Laura Wasser is the daughter of another prominent Hollywood divorce lawyer, Dennis Wasser, who has represented Mia Farrow and Steven Spielberg in the past. Today, Wasser works with her father at Wasser, Cooperman and Mandles, their family practise in Los Angeles.
It could not be further from the truth that Wasser is living in her father’s shadow. If anything, she’s superseding his achievements. Celebrity stuff aside, she has the official credentials: Wasser has been named one of Southern California’s Top 50 Women Attorneys every year since 2012, and in 2019, she received the Justice Award from the Los Angeles Centre for Law and Justice for her acknowledgment of the struggles faced by the self-represented and for her work in promoting civility in Family Law.
She’s been through a divorce herself
Taking divorce advice from someone who’s never been divorced is a bit like agreeing to skydive with an instructor who’s never jumped (well, sort of).
In a 2010 profile of Wasser, CNN wrote “the first marital dissolution she ever handled was her own.” She married to a man she met at law school, but filed the paperwork for their annulment immediately after passing the bar. Their marriage lasted one year, and she was 25. After that, Wasser vowed she’d never marry again, instead dedicating her career to helping other women (and men — she represented Johnny Depp in his divorce battle against Amber Heard) get through the process as smoothly as possible.
Wasser wrote the book on reframing the divorce narrative
Social sentiment around divorce is changing, and Wasser is one of the women we’ve got to thank for this shift in public perception. In 2013, she published a book called, ‘It Doesn‘t Have to Be That Way: How to Divorce Without Destroying Your Family or Bankrupting Yourself’.
It found a receptive audience among women, especially, at a time when material that helped to frame divorce in a not-all-negative light was scarce.
Wasser also hosts the popular podcast ‘Divorce Sucks!’ (which actually shares anecdotes that prove it doesn’t always suck) and is the founder of It’s Over Easy, an online divorce platform that guides users through every aspect of their case, in easy, non-intimidating steps.
She is, one might say, committed to the cause of taking the stigma and administrative complications out of getting divorced, for regular people and celebrities alike.
She’s stylish
While it’s generally not recommended that you choose a lawyer based on presentation standards, it’s no secret that in court, appearances play a big role. And for high-profile people looking to seal a divorce deal and get on with life, they want someone who looks like business, and in Hollywood, business can mean Prada (according to US Vogue, Wasser’s wardrobe consists of pieces by the brand helmed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, as well as Alaïa, Christian Louboutin).
Apparently, Wasser’s style (and overall demeanour) was the inspiration behind Laura Dern’s character Nora Fanshaw in 2019 film Marriage Story. If you’ve seen it, Wasser’s appeal will make complete sense.
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