Harold Hamm’s Ex-Wife Rejects Settlement Check

By Snyder & Sarno on January 13, 2015

We recently wrote about the divorce settlement between Harold Hamm and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Sue Ann Arnall in a previous blog. An Oklahoma judge ordered Harold to pay Sue Ann $999.5 million in their divorce. Hamm, however, recently offered Arnall a lump sum check payment of $974.8 million, which she boldly rejected.

Arnall argues that she will not cash the check in order to preserve her rights on appeal. Both her and Hamm have appealed the Oklahoma decision to that state’s supreme court. On appeal, Arnall argues that the nearly $1 billion the judge ordered her to receive is not a substantial enough portion of all marital assets and she should be entitled to some of Hamm’s oil fortune. In contrast, Hamm argues the judge’s award is too generous considering his loss in wealth as oil prices plummet.

Property division in any divorce can be a contentious issue, and is even more so in the divorce between Hamm and Arnall where billions of dollars are at stake. In Oklahoma, the law only includes property in the marital estate when it resulted from the “active efforts or skills” of either spouse. In New Jersey, the standard is similar, in that a court will consider marital property to be property that was acquired by the parties or one of the parties during the marriage. See N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23(h). As is evidenced by the Hamm-Arnall divorce, which property constitutes marital property is often a source of disagreement between the parties.

If you are going through a New Jersey divorce and anticipate disagreement over the division of property, you could use the help of an experienced matrimonial attorney to negotiate and litigate those issues. The attorneys at Snyder & Sarno, LLC have considerable experienced handling such matters and can be of assistance to you. Call us today at (973) 274-5200.