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Kobe Bryant’s Divorce Would Have Been Costly

A split could have set the Lakers star back $1.36 million a month.

(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Kobe and Vanessa Bryant have officially worked things out. They’ve ended divorce proceedings and now their ten-year plus union and two children are enjoying a happily ever after ending. But had the on-again, off-again couple pushed through to end their marriage, it's Kobe that would have ended up on the losing end of the split.

California attorney Andre L. Botros says that if the pair divorced per California law, Kobe would have to pay child support for his two daughters Natalia and Gianna, split all of his property and pay spousal support indefinitely.

The Bryant’s 10-year marriage is considered long-term in California. Since Vanessa and Kobe passed that milestone a few months before Vanessa began her aborted divorce proceedings, Kobe could have paid spousal support for the rest of her life.

Forbes estimates that Kobe’s income is in the range of $53.2 million dollars. If the Lakers shooting guard had joint custody of his daughters, he’d be responsible for $365,000 monthly in child support. He'd also have to fork over Vanessa's spousal support, which could total around $1,000,000 a month.

Lastly, under California law, all money Kobe earned from basketball or endorsements — starting the day of his wedding, April 18, 2001, to the date of he and Vanessa’s separation — would be considered community property. That means that everything would be divided in half and equally distributed between Kobe and Vanessa. This would apply to all purchases made with community money during their marriage — including cars, private jets, yachts and more.

This information definitely makes it a lot more romantic to rekindle a love affair rather than let it burn out.
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