And, he argued, because he was ineligible for compensation until well after the divorce, the money he received should not be subject to division under state community property laws.
Dennis Wasser, one of her family law attorneys, said all Susman was able to demonstrate was that Frank McCourt held title to the Dodgers, which under California community property laws did not mean much.
Susan Stanford, who filed for divorce from Mr. Stanford in November 2007, has the right to protect her half-interest in his personal and corporate assets under Texas community property laws, her lawyer, Joe Kendall, said in a filing on Wednesday in Dallas federal court.
Generally speaking, under the community property system, property acquired by either spouse while married becomes community property.
Under California community property law, Jamie McCourt is half-owner of what were described in the divorce trial as "the Dodger assets," although Frank McCourt has pledged to show the court why those assets are his and his alone.
Though he married the former receptionist in 1986 in Santa Fe, N.M., the marriage was later reformalized in a civil ceremony in Mexico, complete with a postnuptial agreement to insure that Ana Maria would obtain nothing under New Mexico's community property laws.
The couple, who are worth an estimated $400 million, reportedly have have no prenuptial agreement, so all assets acquired during their 25-year marriage may be divided 50-50 under California's community property laws.
