Ben Affleck-JLO Divorce Could Spark Messy Battle Over Assets

Leslie Silva, a matrimonial and family attorney at McCall, Sweeney & Silva law firm in New York, spoke to Newsweek amid widespread reports that the two-year marriage between Affleck and Lopez is at an end.

Silva said that the shortness of their marriage may help both parties pull away from the marriage without a protracted property battle.

"In New York, when dealing with a marriage of this length, it is highly likely that the parties would be able to accurately account for their pre-marital contributions in order to essentially leave the marriage with the assets they brought into the marriage," she said.

"However, if they put assets in joint names after they married, and there is no controlling prenuptial agreement, it is possible that the assets would be considered entirely marital."

"Additionally, if they co-mingled their funds and used them for marital purposes, those assets may be distributed differently. Ultimately, the way the law treats assets depends on the law of the state where the parties maintain their primary residence," she said.