Attorney Matthew R. Arnold answering the question: “When do you get alimony?”
A tragic divorce out of Florida turned deadly this past week when police got a call from a frantic father that his wife and two teenage children were dead. An investigation has since revealed that Jennifer Berman killed herself along with her 16-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter.
Investigators say that things began on Monday morning when Richard Berman received an email from his ex-wife saying that she felt like harming herself or other family members. Richard got in his car and drove over to his wife’s home and was devastated to discover that his family was already dead.
Initially, officers say they interviewed Richard and quickly ruled him out as a suspect. Additional investigation centered on Jennifer, with police concluding she was responsible for the deaths of the children and her own suicide. Police then set out to uncover a possible motivation for the murder/suicide and believe that the stress of the divorce, especially financial, may have played a part.
Richard and Jennifer officially divorced in December after a long and tense separation. The two were still listed as owners on the house where Jenifer and the children were found. Records show the property has been in foreclosure since 2010. In addition to the stress of the home, officials say Jennifer was financially devastated by the divorce and was struggling to pay the bills.