Peter Orszag and his ex wife Cameron Kennedy have been in the news lately on account of his engagement to ABC News’ Brianna Golodrya and his break up with his new baby mama Claire Milonas, a Harvard MBA and venture capitalist with a Greek shipping magnate for a father.
All of a sudden, this London School of Economics, and Ivy League graduate in charge of President Obama’s budget office, is a hair fiber away from becoming Tiger Woods John Edwards. As a result, all his business, including his divorce settlement agreement and post divorce court disputes with his first wife have become fodder for the media, including the Post (which, I’ve read, is not exactly lauded for its “journalistic integrity”). Who knew?
My interest in the piece I just read, is really the appearance that Orszag and first wife seem to have had some trouble circumnavigating, among other things, the care and custody of their children. This is not unlike a lot of other regular folks I know. Says the New York Post:
In those papers, filed in Washington family court in August 2007, Orszag claimed Kennedy’s “monetary demands” torpedoed “lengthy negotiations” for the kids’ summer schedule — which went unresolved after nearly two months of disputes and an “arduous” mediation session.Orszag accused Kennedy of “repeated attempts to interfere” with his relationship with the kids and asked the court to OK a parenting coordinator as a middleman to stop a “deteriorating cycle.” Read more here:
In a February 2008 suit claiming breach of contract, Orszag’s ex-wife, Cameron Kennedy, claimed the finance whiz “adamantly refused” to make a $300,000 payment to her that was due Jan. 31, 2008.
The payout was part of the couple’s 2006 divorce deal, in which Orszag agreed to give Kennedy an immediate $1.1 million payout, about $200,000 from a retirement plan and bank accounts, plus two payments of $300,000, to come at the start of 2008 and 2009.
Kennedy’s suit, filed in DC Superior Court, demanded the money, plus $16,506 in interest. Orszag made good, and the case was later dismissed.)
So, obviously, Peter and Cameron can easily afford a conflict manager and/or a “parenting coordinator.” What if you are in a situation where you can’t afford a conflict manager? Usually something will be available, even if it is the services of ACS or some other state agency. But if I were you, I’d try to steer clear of that as much as I possibly could. Why? Girrrrllll, just trust me on this. You don’t want to go there.