It’s all over now — and it’s all over Facebook, the “twitterverse” and the tabloids. Demi Moore has confirmed her intention to divorce Ashton Kutcher.

Marriage can difficult in the best of times — even without the spectacle of social media and its own 24-hour news cycle. Then, “the couple’s relationship became the subject of tabloid speculation in recent months as rumors swirled about Kutcher’s alleged infidelity.”

In announcing her intent to divorce by a statement released to the Associated Press, Moore hinted at the difficulty a celebrity marriage — and divorce — endures. “This is a trying time for me and my family, and so I would ask for the same compassion and privacy that you would give to anyone going through a similar situation,” according to the statement.

Kim and Kris reportedly sold their wedding photos and a TV special for several millions of dollars, raising the question- what happens to all of that money?

Fortunately the couple has a pre-nup to fall back on. Many family law or divorce attorneys strongly suggest a pre-nup for wealthy clients – especially those who wed later in life or to those much younger than themselves, or who have a history of failed marriages. Pre-nups protect the assets of both parties as they enter the marriage, and help ensure that property and support issues will be predetermined should the parties split, helping to avoid an expense and an acrimonious divorce.

Kim and Kris may have had a short marriage, but thankfully they had the foresight to protect themselves from what could have been a long and difficult divorce.

“His friends and business advisers think he’s crazy after what happened with his ex, but Paul is insisting Nancy is no Heather,” reported celeb site, PopEater. “There’s no need to make marriage a business arrangement.”

Many family law or divorce attorneys strongly suggest a pre-nup for wealthy clients – especially those who wed later in life or to those much younger, who have a history of failed marriages, or who have significant assets worth protecting. Pre-nups protect the assets of both parties as they enter the marriage, and help ensure that property and support issues will be predetermined should the parties split, helping to avoid an expense and an acrimonious divorce.

Let’s assume a couple chooses to marry without a pre-nup in Florida, the McCartney marriage provides valuable lessons. For example…

- Maintain all of your assets separately. Do not commingle anything – money, dividends, or distributions, for example. Never have a joint bank or investment accounts. This way, what’s yours before the marriage arguably will remain yours.

- What Mr. McCartney entered the marriage with would remain his. If he earns money during the marriage, without a prenuptial agreement, all that income is considered a marital asset and open for equitable distribution. If they use that money to purchase a home, it’s considered a shared marital asset.

- Without a prenuptial agreement, she could make a claim for alimony, including temporary alimony – regardless of her wealth or worth. In fact, one could argue she should have sought a pre-nup to protect her own assets.

Pre-nups also can serve to protect the assets of children from previous marriages. What reportedly are protected in Mr. McCartney’s marriage to Ms. Shevell are trust funds held for his children and grand children, including Beatrice, his 7-year-old daughter with Mills.

At least we know someone’s assets are protected.

The divorced father of two young boys, Wade recently wrote an article in Newsweek magazine discussing his successful effort to win sole custody of his sons.

The NBA superstar wrote, “I can’t say what we’ll do for Father’s Day, because since my sons came to live with me about two months ago, every day has been like Father’s Day. I just want people—men, and men of color in particular—to hear my story and know that their children need them and that it’s their responsibility to be there for them. We have to step up as men and do our part. There are no excuses.”

For any father, that’s an important message.

Other thoughts to keep in mind…

- Children need their fathers to stay in their lives. It’s an important self-esteem component for children. When fathers remain active, everyone in the family benefits.

- This isn’t about pushing Mom aside or shutting her out. When asked, children often seek equal time with each parent. They want things to be “fair.” Unless one parent has significant deficiencies, the best case scenario for children is equal time with each parent (so long as the parents are not combative with one another).

- When someone like Dwayne Wade steps up to care for his kids, he sets a great example for men across the nation. Too many fathers walk away from the family for numerous reasons – discouraged by the mother from seeing their kids; the parents do not live close to one another; job loss; not sure the children are theirs; or they did not want children to begin with. The truth is, if the kids see a parent as their parent, much else is irrelevant.

The trend in Florida is that laws have changed to take away designation of primary parent and secondary parent. Now there are just parents, and time for each parent to spend with his or her kids. This has led the way for equal timesharing for fathers. Unless his work or travel schedule prevents him from equal timesharing, fathers should always seek (or be afforded by the mother and the courts) equal time if they are interested, concerned parents.

On the flip side, seeking equal timesharing simply to minimize the child support obligation is never good. Everyone loses on that proposition – especially the children who then do not get the attention they need from the father (presumably the payor). The mother then is left with insufficient resources to do her parenting job well.

The trend of equal timesharing for fathers has become more popular in the last few years, whereas previously it was thought that young children needed their mothers during the “tender years” of their youth.

As Mr. Wade proved, kids need both parents. And frankly, parents need their kids, too.

Charlie Sheen and ex-wife Brooke Mueller

Following Sheen’s very public spectacle – accompanied by his history of public outbursts, substance abuse and violence – it was no surprise that he lost visitation with his twins. Ex-wife Brooke Mueller obtained an injunction and a court order for the immediate removal of the parties’ twin sons from Sheen’s house.

Divorced or separated parents who have legal custody, time-sharing or visitation agreements should behave in public to ensure the ex-spouse has no evidence or cause that may compel the courts to revisit those agreements.

What can people in contentious divorce or separation situations learn from this episode? The goal is to remain sufficiently civil to avoid the involvement of the courts, guardians ad litem or other professionals. Why? Because these court-appointed professionals can dictate your rights and responsibilities regarding interaction with your ex-spouse or children. To do so…

- Don’t make threats. With the rise of domestic violence, the courts rightly have little tolerance for even the threat of violence, either against the spouse or children. Sheen’s history of public threats left the court cautious to ignore him again.

- Watch what you say. Calling your two girlfriends “Goddesses” or your employer rude or vulgar names only raises suspicion of the courts or court-appointed professionals regarding your mental stability.

- If you have a substance abuse problem, seek professional help. If a counselor or therapists advises you to enter rehab, follow their advise. If a counselor suggests parenting courses, take them.

- Watch your private life. If your life becomes a party – especially one witnessed by your children – people may question your fitness as a responsible parent.

In our experience, “everyday” people would have faced far greater scrutiny regarding their custody or time-sharing than Sheen. In many situations, celebrities are surrounded by sycophants who won’t Just Say No to the celebrity’s strange or even dangerous behavior. This circle of hangers-on won’t call the Department of Children or Families or attorneys in an effort to improve the situation.

Had they, the celebrity might have gotten help earlier, such public displays could have been avoided, and the children – young as they may be – could have avoided the situation altogether.

We can only hope that this becomes the wake-up call that Sheen apparently needs. A similar example comes to mind. When her partying and questionable behavior led to loss of parental rights for Britney Spears, the singer quickly dropped from the public spotlight and sought help.

Maybe losing his kids will help Charlie Sheen change. Personal and family therapy may lead to a reunification process.

Actor Kelsey Grammer

Many family law or divorce attorneys strongly suggest a pre-nup for wealthy clients – especially those who wed later in life or to those much younger than themselves, or who have a history of failed marriages. Pre-nups protect the assets of both parties as they enter the marriage, and help ensure that property and support issues will be predetermined should the parties split, helping to avoid an expense and an acrimonious divorce.

Mr. Grammer, an actor who also owns a production company with wife, Camille, offered her $30 million. The offer was to be inclusive of alimony and child support for the couple’s children, ages 6 and 9. She rebuffed his offer and countered with at $50 million. Meanwhile, the divorce has grown acrimonious and very public.

Is Mr. Grammer, who was married to Camille for 14 years, setting himself up for a similar outcome? He reportedly has said it would be an “insult” to request a pre-nup from Ms. Walsh. Time will tell.

The key message, one that most family law attorneys try to tell their clients, is that both parties continue to work very hard to keep their problems out of the public eye. This divorce was effectuated with almost no fanfare – given the notoriety it gained at the beginning.

What’s more, as is common with many celebrity divorces, Elin apparently was offered a significant pay-off for a tell-all tale. She declined. This is an example of a family truly putting the children first.

Among the other lessons:

- The cost of infidelity is not quantifiable. We don’t know the deal they struck. Any prenuptial agreement probably shielded the lion’s share of Tiger’s assets. But the bad publicity certainly took a toll on his earning capacity. Infidelity is not worth the trouble. We’re confident that Tiger believes that in hindsight none of the ladies were worth what he paid in his career, his personal life, his financial life, and for his children.

- Never react. Even when angry, pause, calm down, and take an action. The press coverage of Elin hitting Tiger with a golf club probably was more hurtful and damaging to them than humorous to us. Even for average citizens, such knee-jerk reactions can result in police dispatch and arrests. Think about how your actions will affect your children, your life and that of the spouse you once loved. Always handle yourself with dignity.

- Avoid publicity. During this time in their lives, the couple could have benefited from less publicity – especially negative exposure – and more understanding. Their two small children have eyes upon them, and the very public breakdown will be forever recorded in print and online.

They seemed like the model couple. They’d lived a life together that many married (and, honestly, divorced) people seemingly can only dream of. Of course, they’d had tragedy and illness. But they have money. They raised their children. They enjoyed politics at the highest echelon of the American system. They were ready to coast into their Golden Years – together.

Al & Tipper Gore in happier times.

The Wall Street Journal wrote how the Gores “have spent virtually their entire adult lives in the public eye and they have done it together. They presented themselves as a package,” the Speakeasy columnist wrote, “and the idea of their brand was sealed with a public kiss on the stage of the Democratic Convention in 2000.”

Then, in a not-too-uncommon and increasingly modern occurrence, they split.

Marriage therapists who work with older couples aren’t as surprised as the rest of us seem to be. We’re living longer. Many have the security of dual-income economics to now enjoy life apart. And desires that were stifled in deference to the family unit are more easily pursued and fulfilled once the nest has emptied. Therapists told the Journal, “…they’re less willing to spend their last decades with someone who leaves them unfulfilled. At the same time, working wives are less dependent on husbands for financial support, and husbands have Viagra and other new incentives to find other romances.”

Call it “the New Biology” – and the New Economics. Nothing has gone wrong. People are more robust in their later years, and they have just grown apart. People in their 50s, 60s, even their 70s are unwilling to go without – whether “without” means sexually, being personally fulfilled, or enjoying a more active lifestyle.

We’re seeing this in our family law practice, too. The most common warning signs are:

- Increasingly frequent disagreements. Not knock-down, drag-out arguments. They might even be amicable. It’s just that things are seen differently.

- One or both are miserable in the marriage. Satisfaction is gone. As needs change, so, too, do the dynamics of the relationship.

- Sex is unfulfilling – if it’s there at all.

- Free time might be spent with friends – or just in different rooms of the house.

For late-stage couples, equitable distribution of assets presents its own unique issues. Significant tax consequences may be involved. With the Gores, Al is earning income from book royalties and speaking fees. Tipper can expect to split those proceeds. While the source may be different, actively-employed, high net worth couples may have similar financial issues. Assets, property and income will need to be equitably divided.

Many family law attorneys attempt to treat late-stage marriage like a “normal” divorce. The non-working spouse may claim permanent alimony. Asset distribution – and the tax implications – may be more dramatic for both. This could require the involvement of a financial planner or tax advisor skilled in such cases.

Though the dollars may be less, even middle-income couples have concerns. Assets, retirement plans or pensions must be divided. Real estate has to be sold – or equitably shared. Credit card debt has to be addressed. And with earning capacity gone from those already in retirement, you’ll now be providing for two households.

The goal – for high net worth or middle income families – is to minimize the tax implications before getting on with your new life.

Watch and learn how this important element of family law may affect Ms. Bullock and other adoptive families facing divorce.

“It depends on what stage the adoption is in,” Finkel told the Daily News. “It may be that he would have certain rights to that child, depending on where the adoption process is at this point.”

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If James makes timesharing or custody claims down the road, Bullock and her attorneys could have another argument: His fitness as a parent, Finkel told the Daily News.

“And there is nothing to stop her from arguing in court that Jesse may be unfit or that there may be other reasons why he is not equipped to meet the needs of the child,” Finkel said.