Professional Football Player’s Wife Files for Divorce Shortly After Wedding
Oct 26, 2012
Brandon, FL (Law Firm Newswire) October 25, 2012 – Chad Johnson (formerly Ochocinco) and Evelyn Lozada are no longer married.
Lozada filed for divorce from Johnson some 40 days after their wedding ceremony, after Johnson was arrested for domestic battery outside their Miami home. Johnson was accused of head-butting Lozada during a dispute.
“Allegations of domestic violence are always troubling,” said Brandon divorce lawyer O. Reginald Osenton. “And victims need to stand up for their rights.”
One month after his arrest, Johnson had a plea agreement approved by a Broward domestic violence judge. The six-time Pro Bowl player pled no contest, which means Johnson accepted the punishment for the assault without actually admitting any guilt. As part of the plea agreement, Johnson will pay restitution to Lozada for her medical costs, serve probation for one year and complete a batterers’ intervention program. He also has agreed to have no contact with Lozada. No further details of the uncontested divorce have been released, as it is governed by a confidential prenuptial agreement.
At the time of the argument, Johnson was attempting to land a contract with the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins responded to the news by cutting Johnson. Johnson has stated that he began taking anger management classes to help channel his anger and defuse situations in which he might act impulsively.
It was reported that Johnson had refused to sign Lozada’s divorce papers, and said he wanted to reconcile and win her back. He also had Lozada’s face tattooed on his lower leg. However, in Florida, where Lozada filed for divorce, a party can divorce his or her partner without the other spouse’s signature, if it is approved by a judge. Florida has a “no-fault divorce” policy, which means the sole requirement to divorce is to have one spouse declare that their marriage is “irretrievably broken.”
While many celebrity divorce details are high-profile, the couple has kept their agreement out of the press. In large part, this may be because they had a prenuptial agreement in place, and did not have to go before a judge to decide how to split assets. Additional negotiations may have occurred behind closed doors. And while Florida divorce proceedings are generally a matter of public record, pre-divorce agreement negotiations can help keep the majority of financial and other information private.
To learn more or to contact a Brandon divorce lawyer or to contact a Brandon dicorce attorney, visit http://www.brandonlawoffice.com.
Osenton Law Office, PA
500 Lithia Pinecrest Road
Brandon, Florida 33511
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