ESL Podcast 839 - Getting a Divorce

divorce - an official, legal end to a marriage

They might get a divorce, but they're worried about how it will affect their kids.

a long time coming - expected for a long period of time; not a surprise; something that one has been waiting for or anticipating

Dewey finally got a raise! She has been working for the company for seven years, so it was a long time coming.

messy - unpleasant, difficult, and complicated

When the company was bought by a larger business, the merger was messy.

to pry - to want to find out the details of other people's lives, especially when those other people would rather not share the information

During a job interview, the interviewer isn't supposed to pry and ask questions about whether you're married or have kids.

prenup - a prenuptial agreement; a legal agreement or contract written before two people marry, specifying how their money, property, and other valuable items will be divided if the marriage ends in divorce

Would you be offended if your fiancé asked you to sign a prenup?

to set aside - to decide not to use or consider something, possibly saving it for later

Grayson and his brother have been arguing for years, but they've finally agreed to set aside their differences and try to have a good relationship again.

sole custody - the legal right to be the only person who takes care of and lives with a child, when the other parent does not have that right

In the past, courts awarded sole custody to the mother almost automatically, but now they are more likely to consider the fathers, too.

alimony - payments made by one spouse (husband or wife) to the other spouse after a divorce as directed by the court

Is alimony calculated as a percentage of a spouse's income?

child support - money paid by one parent (usually the father) to the other parent (usually the mother) to cover some of the expenses of raising a child when the parents do not live together

Hannah's ex-husband pays child support, but she still struggles to buy food and clothes each month.

community property - a system where all assets (things worth money) received or earned during a marriage are owned equally by the husband and wife

They live in a community property state, so even if though her husband never helped with the family business at all, he owns half of the income from that business.

distribution of property - how assets (things worth money) are divided between the husband and wife during a divorce, as directed by a court

Bryan thinks the court's distribution of property was completely unfair, but he doesn't want to spend more time in court fighting against the decision.

amicably - in a friendly, pleasant way

Carmen has great interpersonal skills and can speak with anyone amicably-- even her worst enemies.

to turn ugly - to become very unpleasant, challenging, troublesome, dangerous and/or embarrassing

The campaign turned ugly when the candidates started saying bad things about each other's spouses.

high-powered - very powerful and influential, with the ability to make important decisions and persuade other people to believe certain things

Francisco dreams of being a high-powered businessman.

divorce attorney - a lawyer who specializes in divorces

Adam decided to stop working as a divorce attorney because he didn't want to hear any more sad stories about marriages ending.

asset - something that is worth money, such as a home, a piece of land, an investment, artwork, or cash

For most people, their home is their biggest asset

to play hardball - to be ruthless; to do everything necessary to get what one wants, especially when arguing with or fighting against another person, without caring about whether one hurts or harms that other person

It looks like our competitor is trying to take our clients. We can't let that happen. It's time to play hardball.

to come out swinging - to be ready and willing to fight; to defend oneself; to argue for what one believes in or for what one believes one deserves

The senators are going to debate some very important issues today and everyone expects them to come out swinging.