When Divorce Gets Nasty, Protect Your Assets

One angry Two and a Half Men (VIA) star does not want you to watch an upcoming E! reality show starring his ex-wife  and his two young daughters.

That's the message Charlie Sheen, 42, is broadcasting this week, adding yet another round of public squabbling to his nasty split with with actress Denise Richards, 37. The couple, yet another in a long string of splitsville celebrity couples in the news in 2005, have already used the media to fire shots in their high profile custody and visitation battles. Now, after Sheen failed to get a court to overturn a judge’s ruling that gives Richards permission to include their two daughters, Sam, 3, and Lola, 2, in her new reality show, he is appealing to the court of public opinion. "I think we should all just boycott the damn thing!" Sheen told OK! magazine. "Issue a mass boycott."

Divorced movie stars can fight over reality shows. But real life divorcees usually fight over money, especially when it comes to splitting their individual 401(k) savings. Some dependent spouses worry that their working partner will withdraw all the 401(k) money before a divorce. But, as long as you file for divorce promptly, you should be OK, says Ronald Carlin, a divorce attorney.  “Once a [divorce] complaint is filed, it is pretty standard to get an order freezing all assets preventing either spouse from withdrawing money.” According to Carlin, savings in a 401(k) are generally considered shared property from the date of marriage through the date of complaint for a divorce.  This means that the money will be spilt according to state laws.