Many people in Massachusetts may be familiar with former Italian Prime Minister, billionaire and icon of marital dysfunction, Silvio Berlusconi, who was known as much for his tabloid-inducing personal life as his political stature. Reports from Italy indicate that Berlusconi’s divorce has been finalized and that he will be required to pay a tremendous sum in alimony to his former wife.

In a high asset divorce, there are a number of financial considerations at stake, not the least of which is property division and alimony. Judging simply based on the amount of alimony Berlusconi will be required to pay, it would appear that his ex-wife may have won the battle. The court awarded her nearly 36 million euros per year in spousal support, which translates to something close to $132,000 in U.S. dollars per day.

But Berlusconi will retain all of his considerable business interests, as well as the 78 million euro estate in which the couple raised their children. Perhaps as an added incentive, Berlusconi was able to keep his wife from airing personal dirty laundry in open court in what could have been a contentious, and quite public, legal battle. Berlusconi still harbors political aspirations and is in the midst of a campaign for Italian elections in February.

In any divorce, winners and losers cannot be quantified by sheer monetary figures, so it is important to seek an attorney who understands a party’s objectives in a divorce. Whether a person has $130,000 a day to spend on alimony or not, an experienced family law attorney can help people get the best divorce settlement possible for their needs.

Source: Chicago Tribune “Berlusconi to pay $47 million per year in divorce settlement,” Dec. 28, 2012