Page 23 of Laws of Love
Once he was out of her office, Aiva picked up the file he’d brought and opened it. Her eyes scanned over the paperwork, and she scoffed at what Mia was requesting because there was no way she’d be granted one hundred million dollars. That was the lump sum she wanted. It seems the original fifteen she wanted was out the window.
The greedy woman also asked for spousal support of eighty thousand dollars a month.
There was no custody agreement anywhere in the paperwork, but Aiva wasn’t all that surprised. Her response to Knox’s proposal was about the money she would be receiving. To Aiva’s knowledge, she hadn’t brought up Yasmine and the custody proposal.
She sighed, knowing that, true to his word, Harvey would file the counterclaim because there was no way Mia would allow him not to. Aiva was sure it was how he ended up being her lawyer. He couldn’t say no to ridiculous requests, and he was greedy as well. A larger payout for his client meant a more significant payday for him.
Glancing at the clock, Aiva saw that she only had a few minutes until her next meeting. She would call Knox once it was over. She needed to let him know Mia secured a lawyer and inform him of the ridiculous demands of her counterclaim.
Knox was silent for a moment as he allowed the information Aiva had just given him to sink in. He hadn’t expected Mia to settle easily, but he also hadn’t imagined she would go from demanding fifteen million to one hundred million.
Then again, he shouldn’t have been surprised. He knew the woman he was divorcing well and knew money meant everything to her. It allowed her to have the best of the best and feel as if she was above others. Her status and worth meant more to her than anything else, and Knox wasn’t shocked she was going over the top to protect it.
“Can she do that?” he questioned.
“She can file a counterclaim, yes. However, it won’t help her much. We’ve made a plan of what you’re willing to give her, and if we can’t settle in mediation, I don’t know any judge that would grant her all the things she’s requesting.”
Knox picked up on Aiva’s words and wiped his hand down his face before shifting the phone to his other ear. “But there’s a possibility they would grant her some.”
“Maybe,” Aiva responded. “They may grant spousal support, but that’s good for you.”
“It is?”
“Yes, because our plan would cost you five million dollars, which is far less than she wants, and you’re okay with paying it. However, if the judge only grants her spousal support, she’d get less than three million. In New Mexico, the ratio is one year to three. So, for every three years you were married, you’d pay her one year’s worth. Which means you’d only have to pay her for three years. The twenty years proposed in one of the counters we have was being generous to hopefully get her to agree.”
Knox thought about it for a moment. He could deal with that, but he also knew things could go differently. “That sounds nice, but there’s no guarantee that’s the only thing she’ll get.”
“Right,” Aiva responded. “Which is why I want us to settle this in mediation. If we go to court, I don’t see a judge giving into her obscene demands, but they may give her more than you want. So, I will do everything I can to close this before we get to that point.” She paused for a moment, and Knox heard her mumble, “I mean, I intimidated her lawyer today.”
He chuckled. “You did what?”
“He came in to let me know they were filing a counterclaim. Which honestly is only used as anI have the upper handtactic. One he should not have employed because he does not. So, I let him know that if he and his client didn’t come to their senses, I would bury him in court, and by the time I finished, he’d no longer want to practice law.”
Knox laughed as he tried to envision her intimidating whoever this man was. That was a mistake on his part, because what his mind conjured was far sexier than it should have been.
“Isn’t that illegal?” he questioned, shaking the image from his head.
“Not at all. You’re thinking of witness intimidation.”
“So, they file their counterclaim, then what?”
“Once the official copy is served to you, they’ll also bring one to me, since I’m representing you. However, if you didn’t have a lawyer, you would only receive a copy. I will schedule a mediation for the following week as soon as I get it. Usually, that would take two to three weeks, but a few firms in town will fit us in quickly.”
“Sounds good to me. The faster, the better,” Knox responded.
“I’ll schedule them as early in the morning as I can. Each session could take several hours, and I want them to be done in time for you or Mia to pick up Yasmine from school.”
Knox smiled to himself. The fact that she was considering his daughter, and him being able to pick her up from school was thoughtful, and he appreciated her for it.
“Thank you,” he responded.
“Well, I’ll let you get on with your day. Feel free to call me if you have questions.”
Knox wanted to ask her if he could call her regardless of questions, but he stopped himself from doing so. He wouldn’t step over that boundary. So instead, he responded by telling her to have a good day, and the two of them hung up.
Knox tossed his phone to the side as he laid his head back on the couch. He’d expected to fight an upstream battle when he filed for divorce, but he knew that without Aiva, he’d be swimming against a current blind. He’d forever be grateful for the search that led him to her office and her practice’s outstanding reviews.
Whenever he spoke with her, no matter how terrible the news may have been, she always made him feel comfortable with it. When she spoke, Knox felt as if whatever she was saying was the end all, and it was the only outcome. He didn’t know if it was the confidence with which she spoke it or if he was biased because of his attraction to her. Either way, he was grateful.
