Yesterday afternoon, Melinda Gates officially filed for divorce from Bill Gates.
According to Melinda’s divorce petition, which was filed in King County, Washington, the couple does not have a prenuptial arrangement and will instead split their assets based on a separation agreement.
“Spousal support is not needed,” Melinda wrote in the petition.
According to the text, Bill, 65, and Melinda, 56, have an “irretrievably broken” marriage.
She said, “We ask the court to dissolve our marriage and find that our marital community ended on the date stated in our separation contract.”
In April 2022, the two are set to appear in court. The deadline for their Alternative Dispute Resolution is March 2022. In September, their case will be reviewed.
On Monday, Melinda also filed an automatic restraining order imposing financial constraints on her and Bill, limiting their right to sell property or adjust insurance plans unless they consent in writing or the court orders it.
Except as otherwise agreed in writing, they would each be liable for their own future debts. They’ll have access to each other’s tax, financial, legal, and household records.
Bill and Melinda married in Lanai, Hawaii, on New Year’s Day 1994, and have three adult children: Rory John, 21, Phoebe Adele, 18, and Jennifer Katharine, 25.
The couple announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage on social media on Monday, saying they “no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.”
“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage. Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” they said.
“We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life,” the statement concluded.
