As previously noted, on May 31, six days after the killing of George Floyd and two days after Derek Chauvin was charged with murder and manslaughter for that death, Chauvin’s wife, Kellie Chauvin, filed a divorce petition in the District Court for Washington County, where they lived.[1]
The wife’s petition apparently asked for sole title to the couple’s Minnesota home, currently valued at $273,800, and Florida townhome, currently valued at $226,282. That petition also asked for a “’fair and equitable division” of personal property, vehicles and all bank, retirement and investment accounts. She neither sought nor offered alimony payments.”
Although Derek Chauvin’s time to respond to the divorce petition has expired without any filing of such a response, it is common in divorce and other civil cases for the attorneys to stipulate to an extension of time to respond to such pleadings.
Some have wondered whether the divorce petition was designed to protect these assets from a subsequent wrongful death lawsuit against Mr. Chauvin by Floyd’s family.
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[1] Xiong, Derek Chauvin’s wife is seeking both of their homes in her divorce petition, StarTribune (July 7, 2020).