I often say that divorce can bring out the worst in people. Occasionally, a case in news headlines makes even that seem like an understatement. Judges in family law courts have seen and heard it all. Still, it may have been something of a novelty when Michael Mandelbaum claimed never to have been legally married to Debra, his wife of 20+ years, who now seeks to divorce him.
She filed for divorce in New Jersey, where the couple has three children and shared a home reportedly valued at about $2M. Mr. Mandelbaum’s position is that although New Jersey law requires couples to have a marriage license in hand before they wed, he and Debra did not. They applied for a license two days before their wedding ceremony, and received it 16 days afterward.
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