Divorcing while facing death has made headlines recently (see Dennis Hopper; John and Elizabeth Edwards) and is now the subject of a Time magazine article that quotes Joseph Cordell, Principal Partner of Cordell & Cordell, P.C.

The article says deathbed divorce is not as uncommon as one may think, and asks the question, “Why would anyone go through (divorcing while dying), considering the irreconcilable differences they already have with their mortality?”

Hopper, the legendary actor, is terminally ill with prostate cancer and is believed to be seeking a divorce from his fifth wife from his deathbed to protect his assets. (Read DadsDivorce.com’s article “Divorcing from your deathbed”) 

Cordell, whose firm is the premier law firm in the country focusing on men and divorce, said in a case like Hopper’s, the adult children of a multiple marrier who develops an illness may try to pre-empt an estate battle by taking care of business before the funeral. 

Why?

“They distrust the new spouse,” Cordell said.

Cordell also recounted the experience of a man dying of ALS whose wife tried to divorce him because she was concerned about the cost of his treatments. 

Click here to read the full Time magazine article.