Tie Domi and estranged wife reach temporary settlement in divorce case
MIKE OLIVEIRA
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=cp-nhl_domi_stronach&prov=cp&type=lgns
September 27, 2006
TORONTO (CP) - Former NHL enforcer Tie Domi and his estranged wife Leanne reached a temporary settlement in their high-profile divorce proceedings Tuesday but the name that set off a media frenzy was not spoken aloud in court and was nowhere to be found in the preliminary divorce agreement.
The negotiated consent order includes agreements on giving child custody to the mother, payment of her legal fees and a restraining order that states Tie Domi is to "be restrained from molesting, annoying or harassing Leanne Domi or from communicating with Leanne Domi."
Neither party was in attendance for the muted courtroom drama, which played out as the local media buzzed with stories about the popular, former Maple Leaf's alleged affair with Liberal MP and heiress Belinda Stronach.
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Leanne Domi wanted the divorce to be below the radar and not include Stronach but Tie Domi fought her attempts at getting a fair settlement, and so she went public, according to her application before the court.
"Every effort I have made to get Tie Domi to come to the negotiating table quickly and discreetly has been rebuffed in favour of his own agenda and timing. I have tried to forestall the acrimony of a court proceeding and to resolve matters in an amicable way ... I have tried to confront matters free of Belinda Stronach," she said in her filing to the court.
The allegations have not been proven in court and Tie Domi has refused to comment.
Stronach said on Tuesday that she doesn't discuss her personal life, so she won't discuss the Domi rumours.
"Whether it's true, it's false or it's just the opinions of others, I'm not prepared to talk about my personal life at this moment," she said.
"Right now it's a matter that is before the courts between two individuals and they need to sort it out."
The preliminary divorce agreement will remain in place until a judicial case conference can be held, where a judge will attempt to mediate a result without further legal action.
"This matter has been very acrimonious, there is a great deal of sadness by Mrs. Domi and by Mr. Domi," Julie Hannaford, lawyer for Leanne Domi, said outside court on Tuesday.
"We are pleased that we arrived at a consent (order) that we believe will be beneficial to the children as well as to the parties."
Leanne Domi was given primary custody of the couple's three children at their home, where Tie Domi is not allowed to visit, except to collect belongings and pick up the kids for visits.
Until child and spousal support is settled, Tie Domi is to pay for any costs related to the home, schooling and recreational activities; $25,000 for Leanne Domi's legal fees; and $10,000 so his total worth can be calculated.
She is seeking $15,246 in monthly child support, $30,000 in spousal support, and $250,000 to hire lawyers and experts for the divorce proceedings.
Leanne Domi said she became frightened about her financial security as the marriage fell apart and she realized their family home had a mortgage of close to $3.8 million and shared lines of credit had "staggering" debts.
"He told me if I kept quiet and didn't hire a lawyer he would give me $1 million in cash and buy me a house for $1.5 million. He told me that if I did hire a lawyer, I would 'get nothing.' He told me that if I 'went through lawyers' he would show that 'all we have is debt,"' she said in her application.
The couple was separated on July 22, months after the alleged affair that Leanne Domi said began in January when Tie Domi started working on Stronach's political campaign.
She said she found that unusual, since Tie Domi seemingly had "little to no interest in politics."
The divorce papers are dated Sept. 18, the day before Tie Domi announced his retirement from the NHL.
He was asked about his rumoured relationship with Stronach at a news conference and said, "I prefer not to talk about my personal life."
It was announced that he would join TSN as a hockey analyst and that is still in the works, said Andrea Goldstein, a spokeswoman for the network.
"Our plans have not changed and we look forward to Tie Domi's debut on Oct. 3," she said.
