Divorce is rarely a happy thing, particularly following a lengthy marriage, but is nonetheless often viewed by those involved as an unpleasant, if perhaps necessary remedy for what may be an irreparably broken relationship.
By all appearances, that would seem to be the case for Sarah and Todd Palin, who are reportedly in the process of legally dissolving their marriage.
Documents filed in Alaska
The court documents don’t mention the Palins by name, but instead identify the married couple and a minor child by their initials which match those of the Palins and the youngest of their five kids.
The filing also includes a marriage date and a child’s birth date that indeed corresponds to the date Sarah and Todd wed and the date that the above-referenced child was born.
According to the court papers, T.M.P. — presumably, Todd Mitchell Palin — filed for a divorce against S.L.P. — also presumably, Sarah Louise Palin — whom he married 31 years ago on August 29, 1988.
The minor child whose custody will be determined by the court was identified as T.P.V.P. — most likely Trig Paxson Van Palin — was listed as having the same birthdate — April 18, 2008 — as the Palins’ youngest son. The rest of the Palins’ children are already adults.
Another signal that this divorce case involves the Palins is the fact that T.M.P. is represented by an Anchorage-based attorney named Kimberlee Colbo, who previously represented Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer in his divorce from the eldest Palin child, Bristol.
“Incompatibility of temperament”
The Anchorage Daily News reported that the divorce papers were filed in the Anchorage Superior Court on Friday by the attorney believed to be representing Todd Palin.
The plaintiff’s cited reason for requesting the dissolution of the marriage was an “incompatibility of temperament between the parties such that they find it impossible to live together as husband and wife.”
It is worth noting that the court filing seeks joint legal custody of the minor child and also that Colbo requested that the court designate the divorce case as “confidential” as it proceeds to a conclusion.
Sarah Palin was elected governor of Alaska in 2006 but rose to national prominence when she was chosen to be the vice presidential running mate for failed Republican nominee John McCain in the 2008 election. Palin resigned as governor in 2009 but remained on the national scene as an enthusiastic cheerleader for the Tea Party movement, the author of multiple books, a prolific public speaker and even the star of a reality TV program.
Todd, on the other hand, largely eschewed politics and worked as a commercial fisherman, snowmobile racer, and oil field worker who nevertheless stood beside his nationally-prominent wife. While the end of any marriage is a regrettable occasion, hopefully the Palins are both at peace with their decision to part.