DIVORCE, CORPORATE-STYLE

HER JOB WAS HIS CAREER, SO SHE WANTS HALF THE LOOT

What's a wife worth, anyway? She's priceless, of course, spiritually. But financially, we still don't know, when it comes to that rare species, the stay-at-home spouse of the corporate tycoon. When nonwealthy couples divorce, the assets are generally divided equally, according to Michael Ostrow, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. But for the wealthy--unless you're in a 50-50 community-property state--when love fades, the wife's value is inversely calculated: the richer the household, the less, proportionally, she gets. One such wife, Lorna Wendt, 53, has decided to fight that principle. She returns to court in Stamford, Connecticut, this week, having...

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