Kim Kardashian’s Lawyer On How To Divorce The A-List Way

Last year, actor Laura Dern won an Oscar for her portrayal of powerhouse attorney Nora Fanshaw in Marriage Story. Laura Wasser – LA’s go-to lawyer – is thought to be inspiration for the character. If that doesn’t attest to Laura’s status, her CV will: she’s representing Kim Kardashian as she divorces Kanye West and has guided half of Hollywood through settlements, including Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Britney Spears and Mariah Carey.

How did she find the Marriage Story portrayal? ‘Not very realistic, frankly,’ she says. ‘[Laura Dern] called and said, “I just want to tell you, I know the office looks like yours. I know the clothes look like yours. But it’s not you.” I thought it was really entertaining, but I did not relate.’

She’s speaking over Zoom from her home in LA. Her dazzling Hollywood smile must fit right in around her clientele. She counts Vice President Kamala Harris as a close friend. ‘She’s super-cool. My mom passed away and she called me that day,’ she says.

Laura does get starstruck – but not around the people you might expect: she had a fangirl moment meeting a woman whose bread-baking Instagram account she follows. ‘I have a lot of respect for most of the famous people that I represent. But because you see them at such a vulnerable stage, you realise that they are just normal people going through a difficult time. Remember, I’m not usually seeing them at their best.’

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Laura, 52, doesn’t think she’ll marry again. She’s divorced and has two sons, aged 15 and 11. ‘I don’t know why. I can’t think of a good reason to get married.’ After a year spent incarcerated with our partners, she’s probably not alone. In fact, law firms in the UK reported rises in divorce inquiries during lockdown last year. In the US, Laura has seen a spike in people signing up to her online divorce platform, It’s Over Easy. Starting at $699 (£508) it’s a cheaper option than going through her law firm, where the retainer is $25k (£18k) and the hourly rate $950 (£690). She hopes to launch it in the UK soon. ‘So, yes, [divorce] is on the rise. But I actually have found that there are many families and couples who have really come together and worked through things during this time.’

She finds the most common reason for divorce is when there is ‘a lack of connection, a lack of communication, they’ve just grown too far apart’. But divorce can be made more palatable by educating yourself on what to expect, she says. ‘Be kind, especially if you have children. You’re going to be dealing with this person for the rest of your life. Don’t burn a bridge. Treat your divorce more like a business transaction you are entering into with a family member who will continue being your family member afterwards.’

She recommends getting a neutral party on-board who can ‘help you figure out what’s best for your kids in terms of custody, how a budget will work’. And she suggests therapy for couples who are still in a good place. ‘There will be times in your marriage when things are going to be crappy and so you might as well be able to know how to tap into that so that you can talk, because otherwise everything gets repressed. That’s when resentment builds,’ she says.

‘Divorce really is the great equaliser,’ she adds. ‘Whether I’m representing a pro bono client... or it’s one of the clients at the firm who’s rich, famous and powerful, they all really have the same fears and sadness.’