Elin Nordegren, Tiger Woods and the lawyering of independence [poll]

It's Independence Day, and with Sandra Bullock's divorce done and gone, the most famous woman seeking her freedom these days is Elin Nordegren, Tiger Woods'  future ex-wife.

Lawyers and leakers have been hard at work on both sides. The current settlement floating for a trial-free divorce is $100 million -- that from a source TMZ says has direct knowledge of the terms of the divorce. The number is down from a $750 million guesstimate first floated by the Sun, and a $700 million possibility pondered by People.

What would Tiger get, in addition to the liberty that comes with having "cheating" turned back into "dating" or simply "booty calling"? A confidentiality clause, People and TMZ sources say, barring Elin from doing any post-divorce interviews or writing a tell-all book about their life together.

According to People, Nordegren has been holding out on the confidentiality agreement as Woods offered increasingly large sums of money.

Another sticking point, reported by the Sun and People: "Elin does not want Tiger to have female friends around when he has the children," the source tells PEOPLE. "This is very important to her, and she will not give in to anything less." 

Lawyers are also reportedly still hashing out custody details, which get a bit more complex when dad's a globe-trotting U.S. golf superstar and mom's clan is centered in Sweden.

Elin Nordegren's far from the only Swedish name to hit America's pop-culture radar (Think, the late Stieg Larsson). Click the picture of her to the right (it's from 2003, when she and Tiger were just dating) to launch a gallery of pictures with a certain Swedish accent.

We have a nonscientific online poll about the settlement too -- just keep reading.

-- Christie D'Zurilla

Related dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip:

Reports: Tiger Woods' divorce settlement won't hit $750M

Report: Details set in Tiger Woods-Elin Nordegren divorce

New book offers more evidence that Tiger Woods' life is nothing like yours

Photos: Elin Nordegren and Tiger Woods, top, are driven back to the 18th green for the trophy presentation after Woods won the U.S. Open in a sudden death playoff at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif., on June 16, 2008. At right, Nordegren in November 2003. Credits: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times, top; Kim Ludbrook / EPA, right.

Comments

[Joe]

I have an idea. Why don't they just both take what they brought into the marriage? Then, when each has custody of the kids they cover those expenses equally. What a crazy concept.

[Aurel]

In my next life I will be a babysitter!

[Dianne]

I believe she should only get a share, of Tigers wealth, strickly from the time she married him. Anything he owned or had before the marriage, should have nothing to do with Elin Nordegren. Why should she be getting anything from his early years.

[c. l. howard]

Woods should be stripped of every dime past/present/future for the shame and humiliation he's forever stamped on his wife and children. Perhaps then faithfulness instead of flaming adultery would be the goal in "modern" marriage.

[Jimmy]

And you wonder why guys like OJ and Blake do the things they do.

From a nanny to a hundred million lol.

Tiger should learn not to get married again.

[tarheelchief]

This will send a chill down the spines of most wealthy men and women planning to get married.
It is interesting they asked the woman to take a vow of silence,does this apply to Tiger as well?
If I were hit by a nine iron,and could show some scars from eight or seven irons on my head,then you can bet this was not the simple scenario published by the media.
Let's hypothetically say you had a big deep divot on your skull and always wore a hat until you took the trophy.Don't you think Tiger would be wary about these markings?

[richard owens]

Tiger needs to put more money up for what he did to his wife.

[sailbyme]

I think she deserves it, it's a different lifestyle. It the price he pays for screwing around. If it were a normal divorce, amicable etc. then maybe reconsider the settlement. Hate to say it but he dug his own hole. And I'm a fan.

[Jan]

They have a prenup. The only reason she is getting money beyond the prenup is because he is buying her silence. It has nothing to do with what is fair or unfair.

[Samella J.]

Did Elin marry Tiger for love or money?

[Newton]

I want Tiger and his lawyers to decide that his children will get generous child support and Elin gets a very modest settlement. Let’s go with the prenup.

Part of the transaction is both parties will agree there will be no confidentiality clause about any details of their very personal relationship.

Elin can write her book revealing any and all details including but not limited to the salacious facts. Tiger can do the same revealing his side of this story.

Oprah, Larry King, Matt Lauer, Erica Andrews, Sports Illustrated, Maureen Dowd (that would be my favorite!), Bob Woodward. The list could go on & on & on.........

[Dianne]

Aurel, I agree with you, be a Nanny Babysitter, and become rich. Gawd forbid.

[Dianne]

Newton, Yep sounds fair to me.Someone coming along for a year or two taking dam near everything you have got, is just rediculous to me. It is not as though he was beating her up, HE CHEATED, like a lot of relationships. Very unfair in my opinion.

[Jim Nichols]

While not condoning at all Tiger's actions nonetheless she knew what swhe was getting into.