Last fall, thousands of people took to the heart of New York City’s financial district as part of Occupy Wall Street. While the movement — dedicated to promoting economic equality and protesting the growing influence of corporations — has consistently made headlines over the last year, it was actually an individual member who gained the most coverage over the last month. In fact, these headlines weren’t even about her work in the movement, but rather about her divorce.
At around this time last year, Stacey H., a 39-year-old mother of four, left her family in Florida to join the Occupy protests in NYC’s Zuccotti Park. When asked why she took this action, the self-described “rock-star musician, activist, dreadlock princess, African-bee keeper and organic vegan freak” stood by her convictions.
“Military people leave their families all the time, so why should I feel bad?” she said. “I’m fighting for a better world.”
It appears, however, that Curtiss H. — her husband of 19 years — didn’t share this sentiment, as he ultimately filed for divorce. In his petition, he indicated that the marriage was “irretrievably broken” and cited “irreconcilable differences.”
Earlier this month, the couple officially filed their divorce settlement, which gave Curtiss H. sole physical and legal custody of the couple’s four kids, ages 18, 16, 14 and 8. While this essentially means that Curtiss H. has the kids all week, including holidays and school vacations, the settlement papers do indicate that Stacey H. can see the children whenever she wants so long as it is in a “safe environment” and the children actually “want to see her.”
The more significant aspect of the divorce settlement, however, is that while Curtiss S. gets to keep the family’s suburban home, Stacey H. receives approximately $85,385 — a $5,800 bank account and one of Curtiss H.’s retirement accounts valued at $79,585.
It should be noted that court documents officially list Stacey H.’s occupation as a protestor for Occupy Wall Street, and Curtiss H.’s occupation — somewhat ironically — as a banker.
Stay tuned for more from our Ft. Worth family law blog …
To learn more about dissolution of marriage, spousal support or property division, contact an experienced and skilled legal professional.
This post is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.
Source:
The New York Post, “After ditching family, Occupy mom snags $85k in divorce,” Candice Giove and Brad Hamilton, Oct. 28, 2012
