Jon and Kate Gosselin divorce is final
Posted : Dec 19, 2009 10:42 AM
After filing papers in June to end their 10-year marriage, Jon and Kate Gosselin's divorce became final on Friday.
The Associated Press reported that a lawyer for Kate said she gets the family home in eastern Pennsylvania in the no-fault agreement.
Lawyer Mark Momjian said the mother of eight will continue as the primary caretaker of the reality TV couple's 9-year-old twins and 5-year-old sextuplets, the AP reports. Momjian said the Gosselins worked out custody arrangements but let an arbiter decide financial issues. He said Kate is relieved and excited about restructuring her life.
"Divorce is always a difficult process, and in this case there's obviously the added challenge of being a celebrity and having to deal with the reality of such a large family," Momjian told The Associated Press. "But I know she is very excited about restructuring her life and looking forward to the new year."
One item of contention in the divorce didn't surface until late in the game: Jon's gun. Jon was recently spotted shooting a .38 pistol on the property he and Kate own in Wernersville, Penn. On Thursday, a judge issued a court order barring the gun from the property. Expect that ban to remain in effect as part of the divorce agreement. The source said that it's been agreed the gun is not allowed in the house with the kids.
As for how the divorce might affect TLC's relationship with Jon and Kate, the network had no comment, but a production source doesn't foresee a scenario where the network would change its stance. For now, they have plans only for the new series centered around Kate that could debut this spring, and "have no plans to shoot the kids," according to that source.
The couple had previously spoken on their show of plans to take turns with the children in their sprawling new home in Wernersville, about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia. However, Momjian declined to say whether that remains the plan.
"This is her home now," Momjian said. However, he added, "she clearly wants the children to be involved in both parents' lives."
In a statement issued by her lawyer's firm, Kate Gosselin called the marital breakup difficult.
"I am very relieved that our divorce has been finalized, and I look forward to the new year, focusing on the children," said Kate Gosselin, a former nurse. "This has been a challenging transition for all of us."
