Judge Diana Lewis of the Palm Beach County circuit court has a busy job ahead of her. She’ll be tasked with the heavy responsibility of dividing up $8 million in jewelry between divorced socialites, Bill and Tina Flaherty. The big item on the table: A $500,000-diamond-and-emerald necklace.
The couple filed for divorce in April 2007 after 33 years of marriage. While the divorce became final a year and a half later, dividing up property continues. To date, the couple split evenly $150 million in homes and stocks and bonds. Dividing up the bling…Not so easy.
Tina, 70, is an executive turned writer known for taking over Colgate-Palmolive. Bill, 76, is an industrialist who once gave $1.5 million to West Palm Beach’s St. Marys Medical Center and another $1.5 million to the Palm Beach Zoo.
Reportedly, Bill may end up getting back a lot of the stuff he bought Tina for things like their 25th wedding anniversary and her 50th birthday. Joel Weissman, who represented Bill said in Florida, said the gift you purchase a spouse is considered marital property. It can be split 50-50 in a divorce.
