Legal Expert Reveals the Worst-Case Scenario for Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Post-Split

The pair could be headed for the kind of bitter unraveling the entertainment industry so often lays bare, turning their pain into public drama.

Nicole Kidman's bombshell decision to file for divorce from Keith Urban on September 30 has set the stage for one of Hollywood's most high-stakes splits. Now, legal insiders are lifting the lid on what could happen between the Oscar winner and the country music star if things turn nasty behind the scenes.

Legal experts caution that the "worst-case scenario" facing Kidman and Urban would be if their split spirals into a full-blown courtroom battle. They recommend a discreet, behind-closed-doors settlement.

Once the Gloves Come Off, It Gets Ugly

Family law specialist David Glass, who is not involved in the case, explained that the most explosive divorces happen when emotions override discretion.

Glass noted that it makes no difference whether it's a couple balancing bills and savings or A-listers with mansions and millions. Once one party feels wronged and decides to prove a point, the fight can turn brutal.

At that stage, shared Glass, the sparring partners often begin filing affidavits and sworn declarations packed with personal accusations.

In the process, private tensions and grievances can be dragged into the public arena, creating a spectacle in which each side is determined to prove they were the wronged party.

Courtroom Brawl Could Rip Open Their Finances

For Kidman and Urban, that would almost certainly mean a spotlight on their fortune. A trial could lead to disclosures about the couple's vast finances — an unthinkable outcome for two stars who have spent years carefully cultivating their public image.

According to Glass, most stars would rather keep their wealth and assets out of the spotlight. A private settlement spares them from exposing exactly what they own and how much. So, the law specialist believes that a "confidential divorce settlement" would work best for Kidman and Urban.

Glass added that if Kidman and Keith Urban had reached a deal before the filing, their personal terms could stay sealed from public view. But once documents hit the courthouse, every detail risks becoming an open record.

Without that early agreement, and especially if no prenup exists, their private lives could be dragged into the spotlight in ways damaging to both their reputations and careers.

"If they don't have a prenuptial agreement, because Nicole has presumably made more money from her acting career, she would be sharing a larger portion of her money, could be asked to pay child support, and could even have to pay spousal support to him," Glass acknowledged.

Without a prenup, Glass warns that virtually every asset accumulated during the marriage, from bank accounts to investments and property acquired after the wedding, can be treated as marital property and laid bare in court.

In a worst-case courtroom fight, that exposure would force the couple to catalogue and defend years of joint finances under intense public scrutiny.

Lawyers Say Prenups Are a Must

Glass also notes that many celebrities who were already famous when they married had teams, business managers, and agents, urging them to sign prenups precisely to avoid this kind of fallout.

He says those agreements streamline the split by making the division of marital assets much simpler, leaving less to argue over.

Marilyn Chinitz, a premarital and family law attorney at Blank Rome in New York City, also not connected to the case, echoed that point. She said that a prenup's main function is to protect premarital property.

In practical terms, that means anything titled solely in Kidman's name, such as her California residence, would generally remain separate property under a properly drafted agreement, keeping it out of the marital pot.

Custody Is the One Thing a Prenup Can't Touch

No matter what financial safeguards may be in place, Kidman and Urban still face the unavoidable task of hammering out custody arrangements for their teenage daughters. The pair share 17-year-old Sunday Rose and 14-year-old Faith Margaret.

"The one thing you can't cover in a premarital agreement is anything regarding children. So you can't spell out, 'If we get divorced, I get the children,' or 'If we get divorced, I won't pay child support,'" noted Glass.

The age of Kidman and Urban's daughters could prove pivotal if custody ever landed before a judge. Glass said teenagers like Sunday and Faith are at an age where their preferences begin to carry weight in the courtroom.

"Any kid who's 16, 17, or 18, most judges would tell you that kids vote with their feet. They can drive, they go wherever they want, and it's hard to lock them down to a schedule. And they sort of determine, 'I'm gonna live mainly, for example, with mom, but I'm gonna see dad on weekends,' or 'I'm gonna live with them equally,'" Glass shared.

Furthermore, in many states, once a child turns 14, their voice can formally be heard in proceedings, and more often than not, the court sides with their stated preference.

He added that while courts are not strictly bound by a child's wishes, a judge will usually take them into account if the reasons are mature, intelligent, and emotionally grounded. However, if the former couple can agree on custody terms in private, the courts are unlikely to interfere and will generally honor that arrangement.

Nicole Secures Primary Custody

Fortunately, court filings show that Nicole Kidman and Urban have already mapped out their custody plan, sparing their daughters a bruising legal fight. The 58-year-old will serve as the primary residential parent, securing 306 days a year with Sunday and Faith.

This leaves the 57-year-old with just 59 days. Therefore, Kidman will have more than five times the time with their girls compared to her estranged husband.

No Child Support Battles

The documents further reveal that the pair has sketched out a parenting schedule and will continue to share responsibility for major decisions in their daughters' lives.

Financially, neither will pay monthly child support, with Urban said to have already settled his obligations in advance through a private arrangement.

Vowing to Keep It Civil for the Sake of the Girls

To ensure stability, both have also committed to respectful co-parenting, promising not to speak ill of one another or extended family members.

Instead, they have vowed to encourage Faith and Sunday to maintain loving ties with both sides of the family and to feel equally at home in each household.

A Love Story Ends and a New Chapter Begins

Kidman and Urban, who quietly split in June 2025, now face the challenge of navigating life apart while continuing to co-parent their teenage daughters.

Insiders insist Kidman fought to keep the marriage intact, but Urban had already pulled away. In the end, the actress filed on the grounds of irreconcilable differences — a stark conclusion to nearly two decades together.