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Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck on Aug. 20, 2024, which was the couple’s second wedding anniversary since they celebrated in Georgia. Lopez made an unusual move when filing, as she didn’t use a lawyer. Here’s what a family law attorney said about Lopez making a “power move” by not using an attorney.

Jennifer Lopez is making a ‘power move’ by divorcing Ben Affleck without a lawyer, attorney Aliette Hernandez Carolan says

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck thought their romance would last forever when they rekindled their flame in 2021. They tied the knot in July 2022 in Las Vegas before having a larger wedding in Georgia a month later. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make their marriage work. Lopez filed for divorce without a lawyer on Aug. 20, 2024.

Aliette Hernandez Carolan, Esq., family law attorney and founder of The Quick Divorce, commented on the “power move” from Lopez to Showbiz Cheat Sheet.

“J.Lo’s decision to proceed without a lawyer is a power move that signals her desire to control the narrative and keep their most intimate details away from public scrutiny,” Carolan said. “She’s sending a clear message that the traditional route of messy, contested litigation is outdated and off-trend.”

Carolan added that Lopez’s “bold move” “could revolutionize how we view even celebrity divorces.”

“It’s a clear sign that the era of drawn-out legal battles is coming to an end,” the attorney continued. “If even J.Lo, with millions on the line, chooses to resolve things amicably and efficiently, it’s a wake-up call to the world — divorce doesn’t have to be a war.”

Jennifer Lopez is ‘sending a message’ to Ben Affleck by not using a lawyer, a divorce attorney says

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez holding hands and walking through New York City
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are seen on Sept. 26, 2021, in New York City | Gotham/GC Images
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Jennifer Lopez utilized a “power move” by not using a lawyer in her divorce filing. And she’s also possibly sending a message to Ben Affleck.

“She probably is sending a message that there’s not going to be a fight,” celebrity divorce attorney Chris Melcher told Us Weekly. Melcher added that a celebrity not including an attorney in the case is highly unusual.

“I believe that this is intentional to send a message that this will not be a fight,” he said, adding that fighting in court could be “toxic to their brand.” Additionally, it seems likely that Affleck and Lopez “worked out most of these issues before going public with the filing.”

“This could be the first step that we are seeing as the public, [but it] could actually be one of the final stages of their divorce settlement,” Melcher said. While Lopez didn’t use an attorney to file for divorce, she likely used one before getting to this point.

Does the couple have a prenup?

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez likely have a prenuptial agreement, but it’s still unclear whether they do.

“Jennifer was not required to disclose on the court forms whether she entered into a premarital agreement with Ben, so no conclusions should be reached about the existence or non-existence of a prenup,” divorce attorney Christopher Melcher told Fox News Digital. “It would be par for the course for a couple like this to have a premarital agreement in place.”

Lopez and Affleck seem to want to settle their separation amicably. However, if they don’t finalize the separation soon, “that might indicate some aspect of this is becoming contentious and that there is some difficulty reaching amicable agreements,” Holly Davis, founding partner of Kirker Davis LLP, told Fox News Digital. Then, the gloves might come off.”

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