Confidential Communication with your Attorney is Essential, Especially when Divorcing

Katie Holmes Use Disposable Cell as a “Divorce Tool”

This may seem obvious, but confidential communication with your attorney is essential, especially in divorce matters.  Sometimes, having confidential communications with anyone is difficult when you are living with someone that you are about to divorce.  Use of technology, such as an internet e-mail account or adisposable cell phone, can make the difference. Often times client’s will establish a free internet based e-mail accounts (such as Yahoo or Gmail), specifically to communicate confidentially with their divorce attorney.  These type of internet accounts are popular because they can offer privacy and are accessible from any computer or other device connected to the internet. To underscore this point you need to look no further than the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorce.  on Wednesday, Reuters published a story written by Deanne Katz, Esq. Katie Holmes’ Secret Divorce Weapon: Disposable Cell Phone.  The article discusses Katie Holmes use of a disposable cell phone she obtained form a friend to communicate with her divorce attorney.  The obvious reason is she did not want her soon to be ex-husband to look at a cell phone bill and know she was speaking with a divorce attorney. It is hard to say whether obtaining a disposable cell phone from a friend is an extreme measure . This case involved two well-known Hollywood celebrities who generate a significant amount of paparazzi and general media attention in their own right.  Undoubtedly, the case also involved a significant amount of money and what initially appeared to be a hotly contested custody case. It is remarkable is not truly unbelievable that the entire case could be resolved in 11 short days with a scant amount of the details going public. For those considering divorce, the Cruise-Holmes case is a great lesson in the importance of confidential communication with your attorney. No one may ever know whether Katie Holmes got an advantage in her divorce but given the custody and asset issues involved it’s hard to imagine that the homes legal team was not fully prepared to resolve the case quickly in part due to the confidential communications with a disposable cell phone. If you have questions about any aspect of your current or past divorce contact the family law attorneys at DeMichele & DeMichele for a confidential consultation. You can reach us on line or by phone at (856) 546-1350.