Samson has a twin.....

[Merika]

AKA: The OTHER Samson....LMAO!

Lottery Winner Comes Forward After Divorce

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - It took Robert G. Swofford Jr. more than a month to come forward and claim his $60 million Lotto prize, but he had to take care of some unfinished business â€â€� divorcing his wife.

Swofford, a postal worker from Seminole County, claimed his prize on Tuesday in a $34.7 million lump sum payout, ending weeks of mystery about who won the Nov. 24 drawing.

Swofford, 53, and his wife separated three years ago. But two weeks after the winning numbers were announced, Ann Swofford served him with divorce papers and claimed a share of the prize.

Just before Christmas, the Swoffords and their lawyers hammered out an agreement. His wife will get $5.25 million and $1 million will be set aside to support their 11-year-old son. In return, she agreed not to seek any more of Swofford's winnings.

Swofford said he remembered reading about a divorce case where a lottery winner kept it a secret and was penalized in court.

"I'd heard of a case in California where a judge heard about it after he had settled the divorce case and took the husband to the cleaners and made him pay everything he had left out of his lottery winnings," Swofford said Tuesday in Tallahassee. "I feel peaceful. She has money to raise my son and I feel that I am contributing to the welfare of my son."

Lawyers for both sides said they expect the divorce to be completed within the next week or two.

Ann Swofford has an unpublished phone number and couldn't be reached for comment.

Swofford, an ex-Special Forces member, has taken leave from the U.S. Postal Service, where he is a forklift operator.

His base salary was $41,000 a year, though he earned $65,000 in 2004, according to his divorce file. Just five years ago, a mortgage company foreclosed on Swofford's home and he was forced to file for bankruptcy protection.

"Oh, I think it's wrong to say that it's not going to change my life but I don't think it's going to give me a bigger head," Swofford said. "I'm still going to have to wake up in the morning, put one leg in my trousers and put the other one in and get dressed like everybody else."

[Stone]

Did you know that 60% of lottery winners end up claiming bankruptcy within 7-10 years.... Foolish foolish people

[Merika]

The rule of thumb is not to spend more than 1/4 of your 'winnings' on a home or you won't be able to keep up the taxes, insurance and upkeep. I also think they don't consider the taxes overall that they are going to have to pay....unlike a work comp settlement where they don't charge you taxes.

[Star]

Originally Posted by Stoneheather

Did you know that 60% of lottery winners end up claiming bankruptcy within 7-10 years.... Foolish foolish people

OMG!! I didn't know that! how foolish for sure! They obviously didn't make the proper investments. WOW! 8O

[Duke]

That would be the first thing to do IMO, is invest as much of the money as is possible.

[Merika]

They had a whole group on Oprah....YEARS ago....who had won millions and squandered it all away. They just kept buying houses and expensive things without taking into consideration the upkeep costs of those things.

Isn't that just maddening?

[Star]

I can see how people might do that though. Especially if they're not used to having money.

Hubby and I went from upscale to poor. We made a ton of money and we weren't careful, now we're broke and we need to go bankrupt. We didn't grow up with much so that's why. it was nice to just go out and buy what we wanted when we wanted.

After we go bankrupt, I can promise that it would NEVER happen again! If ever we make that kind of money again, we'll be smarter. Invest, invest, invest. Lesson learned for us that's for sure!

[Samson]

Makes you wonder: How many people are remaining married because they cannot afford divorce?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The glue that holds American society together?

[Merika]

A couple can remain married without having to live together....but I would imagine it comes with it's share of problems.

[Samson]

And expensive. I gotta continue to pay all bills after I leave or be charged with "abandonment" in a divorce.

[Star]

Originally Posted by Samson

Makes you wonder: How many people are remaining married because they cannot afford divorce?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The glue that holds American society together?

divorce never crossed mine or hubby's mind. in a marriage, love should mean more then money does, it does in ours. Like I said in a prior post, marriage is being a team. without teamwork, you don't have much to hold on to. I've never worked while I've been with hubby. He's always been the sole provider and his OK with that. He likes the fact that I stayed home with the kids and took care of the household. He wouldn't stand in my way either if in the future I wanted to work. I've had little jobs here and there that didn't last too long because I prefer to be at home.

If some can't afford divorce, doesn't mean they have to stay together. They can seperate and go for a divorce when they can afford it. Money should never stand in the way of happiness. MHO

[Samson]

Yeah, all about team work.

Ok star, imagine your husband losses his job, the bank wants the house, and you refuse to return to work.

You're refusal isn't really helping the team, now is it?

But, its only money?

[Star]

Originally Posted by Samson

Yeah, all about team work.

Ok star, imagine your husband losses his job, the bank wants the house, and you refuse to return to work.

You're refusal isn't really helping the team, now is it?

But, its only money?

that sounds like my reality. He did lose his job and we did lose our house. What we did to remedy this problem was take a very low paying salary job as building managers for a year and a half. We did this together and our daughter suffered for it. Kassandra was NOT happy with me working all the time and wanted me back home. So, we quit our job (that wasn't paying much to begin with) and moved back to our city where she was born and back with her friends and I'm back at home where I belong with my child (and now my grandchild).

Being a stay at home mom is like having 2 full time jobs. My husband would never ask me to leave that to go to work no matter what. For us, it's important to be at home with our kids. Now, he found a really good job and we won't be "hurting" anymore. and, i don't work.

Raising children is team work in a marriage. Team work even if it means that the mother satys at home to raise the kids while the husband works or vise versa. Doesn't always mean about both working.

[Samson]

GRANDCHILD?

You look very young in your avitar!

[Star]

my daughter had a baby at 16. I'm 40 and thank you for the compliment!

[Duke]

I didn't think you were 40 either. Maybe mid 30's but surely no more than that.