Let’s face it. Most divorces are messy. Occasionally, divorcing spouses are able to navigate through the process cordially, but more often than not, the claws come out. When the divorcing parties are considered a high-profile, high net worth couple, privacy and sanity can be even more difficult to maintain.
In these types of divorces, property to be divided can regularly include assets such as successful businesses, high value real estate, valuable artwork, stocks and investments, or significant financial accounts, just to name a few. When items of such a valuable nature are on the line, it can be hard to maintain trust among those we thought we knew best. Friends, colleagues, even family can become suspect. For this reason, it is sometimes best for divorce records to be sealed, though it is not an easy request to have granted by a court.
In order to have divorce records or any part of a court record sealed, the requesting party must show that an open record could cause damage that would outweigh the public’s right to view them. For example, a request can be made on the basis of protecting proprietary business information. In some cases, it may be damaging for children of the divorcing parties to be identified. Another reason may be to protect a victim of domestic violence. In some cases, a court may opt to seal only records that could be potentially harmful, rather than the complete record.
If you feel there is a valid reason for your Texas divorce records to be sealed, talk with an attorney about your options. The quieter a high-profile couple can navigate through a divorce, the better it usually is on all involved.