A judge in Los Angeles, California has entered final court decrees in the divorce of film star and producer Mel Gibson and his wife of 32 years, Robyn Moore. While many details of the settlement between the parties in the divorce proceeding are sealed, it is known that Gibson was required to give half of his approximately $850 million in assets to his ex-wife as a result of community property laws and the lack of a prenuptial agreement between the couple.

His fortune is reported to include about $600 million he received in profits from many of his films including The Passion of the Christ, and around $22.5 million worth of California real estate and other property located in Fiji.

Gibson's wife will also get half of any of his money received from motion pictures in the future. The couple had seven children together. Only one of those seven children, a 12-year-old daughter, is a minor, and the couple is reportedly still battling over her custody.

Gibson and his wife split up in 2006, and she filed divorced proceedings three years later. The divorce filing came close on the heels of revelations that Gibson, although still married, was having a child with Oksana Grigorieva, a musician from Russia. That relationship has also ended as Gibson and Grigorieva are contending for the custody of their now 2-year-old daughter.

Gibson's divorce has gone down as one of the largest in Hollywood history. Even though the division of assets in this case certainly is abnormally high, it highlights the need for proper legal representation when filing for divorce.

Splitting property and financial assets is not a straightforward process, but with the insider knowledge and experience of a reputable divorce lawyer, your proceedings can run smoothly and you can begin the process of moving forward with your life.

Source: Digital Journal, "No prenuptial agreement costs Gibson half of his $850 million," Nicole Byerly, Dec. 24, 2011