• 02
  • June
    2010

Based on the very public kiss between Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper during the 2000 Democratic National Convention, their recent announcement that the couple plans to separate stuns many who looked at the couple of 40 years as an inspiring example of a lasting marriage.

Why the Gores have decided to separate is not public knowledge, and the only detail confirmed by the couple is that they came to the decision together after giving it a lot of consideration. There is no apparent animosity nor scandal behind their reported mutual and amicable decision.

While legal papers have not reportedly been filed as of now, it sounds as though the couple is on their way to getting an uncontested divorce in Tennessee, the state they call home.

An uncontested divorce is when a couple mutually agrees to the terms of their divorce without having to go through a lengthy and often malicious legal battle. One of the spouses files divorce papers, and the couple has a 60 days to reach an agreement of terms for their divorce. If the couple does in fact come to an agreement within that allotted time, one party with his or her attorney then goes before a judge and gets the agreement approved and signed.

Because Al and Tipper Gore both reportedly want this separation and remain friendly, an uncontested divorce would likely suit their situation. Since their 4 children are all adults, child custody and child support issues will not play a role in the separation process.

The most important details they would have to hash out are financial terms. (According to Bloomberg.com, Al Gore is worth an estimated $100 million.) It is currently unknown whether the couple has a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. The Gores were married in 1970 when such contracts were not as popular as today.

We will keep you posted on the status of this public couple's marriage and whether they go through with an uncontested divorce in the future.

Resource

Why call it quits after decades of marriage?