Well, it's official, the newest celebrity divorce is on.  Maria Shriver has reportedly hired a divorce lawyer and, upon close review of the relevant birth certificates, it appears that Arnold Schwarzenegger's love child and his youngest child with Maria were born less than a week apart.  Although many news outlets will report for some time, here is a link to the latest ABC News story.

So, what can we learn from the celebrities about divorce? 

For one, it can get ugly.  As a practicing South Florida Divorce Attorney, I see the drama unfold and play an affirmative role in bringing normalcy and justice back to my client's lives.  It's the type of event in life that the most bizzare things may occur, but the rest of the world is generally not privy to the details.  When celebrities go through the process, unless they work in step to the contrary, the process can be very public.  I am a Florida Attorney and am not licensed in California, so my legal opinion is based only on Florida law.

House Bill 907 makes a number of changes to Florida's alimony statute. The amendments to Florida Statute 61.08 apply to all initial awards of alimony entered after July 1, 2010 and modifications of those awards. These amendments will not serve as a basis to modify awards entered before July 1, 2010.

The changes to Florida's alimony laws are:

- The court must make a specific factual detemination as to whether either party has a need for alimony and whether either party has the ability to pay alimony.