Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC, LLCScarinci Hollenbeck, LLC, LLC

Firm Insights

Gossip Girl's Kelly Rutherford On the Brink of Bankruptcy Due to Costly Custody Battle

Author: Joel R. Glucksman

Date: May 17, 2013

Key Contacts

Back

Actress Kelly Rutherford, known well for her role on the TV show Gossip Girl, announced that she is exploring bankruptcy protection as a financial option to overcome piles of legal bills and related expenses associated with a costly custody battle.

The 44-year-old thespian entered into a highly public and contentious custody battle with her ex-husband, German businessman Daniel Giersch. While the couple was initially awarded joint custody of their kids, Giersch had his U.S. visa revoked due to undisclosed reasons, and a court awarded him sole custody of their 6 and 3-year-old children. They currently live with their father in Monaco, and Rutherford claims that she has spent nearly every penny she has earned traveling to visit them and fighting in court to get them back to the U.S.

“I’ve been traveling 40 times to either facilitate contact with their dad or visit them or bring them back and forth, and paid for everything,” she said in an interview with E! News.

Rutherford also noted that she is currently residing with a friend because she cannot afford an apartment.

“Every penny from Gossip Girl, my pension, my stocks has been spent fighting for my children,” Rutherford said, during the interview. “This fight has brought me to the brink of bankruptcy.”

Currently, Rutherford is still working with legal professionals in an attempt to both avoid bankruptcy law proceedings and regain custody. A court is expected to decide if Giersh can apply for a new visa and re-enter the U.S. in 2014, but until that occurs, Rutherford noted that she will continue working with attorneys, despite her bankruptcy risk.

Rutherford is one of the many celebrities to file for bankruptcy in recent months, but most others who have sought protection have done so due to unpaid taxes and debt. Most recently, former supermodel Janice Dickinson sought protection and listed debts relating to unpaid medical bills for cosmetic procedures.

No Aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC, LLC

Related Posts

See all
Zoning Laws Explained: What You Need to Know Before Buying Property post image

Zoning Laws Explained: What You Need to Know Before Buying Property

Before buying property, it is critical to determine whether local zoning laws may affect your plans. If you plan to redevelop the property, you will want to confirm that local zoning regulations permit development as intended. If acquiring property that is already developed, you must verify that the use is permitted in the underlying zoning […]

Author: Wendy Rubinstein Quiroga

Link to post with title - "Zoning Laws Explained: What You Need to Know Before Buying Property"
Special Needs Trusts in New Jersey: Planning for Your Loved One’s Future post image

Special Needs Trusts in New Jersey: Planning for Your Loved One’s Future

For parents of a child with a disability, estate planning raises concerns that go well beyond deciding who will inherit their assets. Parents may spend years making sure their child has the right care, services, and support. Eventually, they must also confront a difficult question: Who will take over when they can no longer do […]

Author: George McGowan

Link to post with title - "Special Needs Trusts in New Jersey: Planning for Your Loved One’s Future"
What Every Real Estate Investor Should Know Before Buying a Rental Property post image

What Every Real Estate Investor Should Know Before Buying a Rental Property

Before buying a New Jersey rental property, an investor should verify realistic operating numbers, the property’s legal and regulatory status, lead-based paint and flood compliance, the existing leases and tenant protections, and the right ownership structure. A rental property is more than a piece of real estate; it is an operating business subject to legal, […]

Author: Donald M. Pepe

Link to post with title - "What Every Real Estate Investor Should Know Before Buying a Rental Property"
Can You Change an Irrevocable Trust in New Jersey? post image

Can You Change an Irrevocable Trust in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, an irrevocable trust can sometimes be modified even though its name suggests otherwise, and one of the primary tools for doing so is a process called decanting. Whether decanting is available depends on the specific terms of the trust and the discretion given to the trustee. Key takeaways: New Jersey has no […]

Author: Marc J. Comer

Link to post with title - "Can You Change an Irrevocable Trust in New Jersey?"
How Intellectual Property Valuation Will Impact Business Transactions post image

How Intellectual Property Valuation Will Impact Business Transactions

Intellectual property valuation determines the monetary value of a business’s IP assets, and it drives outcomes in licensing deals, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, financing, and ownership disputes. The most valuable assets of a business are often the things that cannot be seen or touched: a proprietary process, a copyrighted work, brand recognition, or the […]

Author: Jay McDaniel

Link to post with title - "How Intellectual Property Valuation Will Impact Business Transactions"
Data Center, Dark Fiber, and Lit Services Agreements in New Jersey: Key Terms and Legal Pitfalls post image

Data Center, Dark Fiber, and Lit Services Agreements in New Jersey: Key Terms and Legal Pitfalls

For New Jersey data center owners and operators, a service agreement may look routine when it is signed. The network is functioning, the vendor is meeting its installation schedule, and the parties have agreed on pricing and performance specifications. The provisions that seem most important at that stage are often the technical ones. That changes […]

Author: George McGowan

Link to post with title - "Data Center, Dark Fiber, and Lit Services Agreements in New Jersey: Key Terms and Legal Pitfalls"

No Aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Sign up to get the latest from our attorneys!

Explore What Matters Most to You.

Consider subscribing to our Firm Insights mailing list by clicking the button below so you can keep up to date with the firm`s latest articles covering various legal topics.

Stay informed and inspired with the latest updates, insights, and events from Scarinci Hollenbeck. Our resource library provides valuable content across a range of categories to keep you connected and ahead of the curve.

Let`s get in touch!

* The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form. By providing a telephone number and submitting this form you are consenting to be contacted by SMS text message. Message & data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. You can reply STOP to opt-out of further messaging.
“If you would like to submit a file, please email it directly to info@sh-law.com.

Sign up to get the latest from the Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC attorneys!