Huma Abedin filed a motion to have her New York divorce against Anthony Weiner calendared, docketed and heard secretly. The request would allow their divorce to be listed on the New York County Supreme Court’s dockets as “Anonymous v. Anonymous” This move would, in effect, shield the parties from the glare of the news media.
Divorce filings in New York are immune from glaring eyes of the press, nosey relations, and other gossips. Only the parties and their attorneys can access court papers filed in connection with a divorce. The court’s calendars, which list cases by litigant’s names, are readily available and the courtrooms are open to the public. Making a case anonymous so the case is designated “Anonymous v. Anonymous” makes it much more difficult to follow.
Cases are listed as anonymous sparingly and only when circumstances require it. In child custody cases, the court makes a case anonymous only to protect the health and welfare of the children.
Despite, this seemingly high threshold, it is common for celebrity divorces to be captioned anonymously
Against this backdrop, Ms. Aberdin requested that her divorce be anonymous because there was a child involved. Understandably, this divorce which encompasses presidential and New York mayoral politics, an FBI investigation, pornography, and sexting would be a magnet for press coverage.
Before denying the request the judge, surveying the courtroom packed with the press noted:
I appreciate the parties’ request to keep this as quiet as possible, but as a practical matter, it does not appear to me that despite your attempt to have this be anonymous, it’s particularly anonymous.
Those who want to follow the case can do so under caption Abedin v. Weiner.
Whether you a celebrity or person in the spotlight and need an anonymous divorce or you can proceed in the normal course, contact us or call us directly at 212-683-9551.
