The common view regarding divorce is that it is one of the most stressful things that people can go through. That's likely true for the vast majority of married couples who decide to split. It's one reason why experienced family law attorneys in Virginia, especially those who don't limit the scope of their practice to just their home state, seek to provide counsel to clients that will carry them through to the calm after the storm.

There are occasionally exceptions to the rule, perhaps more so these days than has been the case in the past. One of them may be the divorce of Katy Perry and Russell Brand. By all accounts it appears that their divorce after just more than one year of marriage is not only amicable, but colored by a certain amount of whimsy.

Publicly, the singer and comedian-actor announced their break up in December, but Brand only filed papers in Los Angeles to make it official this week. According to documents that have been dug up by the media, all issues, including property division, have been resolved, even though they didn't have a prenuptial agreement.

According to the reported terms, Brand won't take any of the $20 million he might be entitled to from Perry's stash of earnings. They waived their rights to a trial, confirming that their divorce is to be decided as an uncontested matter. About the only thing outstanding is a request by Perry to recover her maiden name, Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson.

A major indicator of the apparent equilibrium being maintained is how Perry submitted her copy of the documents; a smiley face after her signature.

Source: New York Daily News, "Katy Perry, Russell Brand reach amicable divorce settlement: Comedian walks away from $20M payout," Joyce Chen, Feb. 9, 2012