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“Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer Cheryl Burke has taken a big step in her divorce from husband Matthew Lawrence — they are requesting the proceedings go to trial, according to a report from US Weekly.
Here is what that means:
Cheryl & Matthew Both Agreed to the Trial
Cheryl Burke filed for divorce from her husband of less than three years, actor Matthew Lawrence, in February 2022, though the official date of separation was listed as January 7, 2022. Matthew responded to the filing in March 2022 wherein he said he was not seeking spousal support and, like Burke did in her initial filing, asked that the court not award any spousal support on either side, according to “Entertainment Tonight.” Both parties listed the cause of separation as “irreconcilable differences.”
Now amidst the divorce proceedings, US Weekly reports that Cheryl has requested the separation go to trial in a family law court and Matthew has signed off on her request.
According to US Weekly, the trial will last approximately three days wherein the parties figure out the dissolution of marriage, division of property, attorney fees and spousal support.
It Probably Means That Cheryl is Trying to Move the Proceedings Along
A family law attorney told US Weekly that the request for trial is an effort to move proceedings along and “get things done.”
“Cheryl’s attorney filed a request for trial setting because he’s trying to push the other side to move and get things done. He’s trying to push it because it’s going to take probably three months to get a trial setting conference on [the] calendar — it’s an appointment to get the court to set a trial six months later,” explained family law attorney Goldie Schon. “So, they’ll get a request for a trial setting conference probably in August or September to go to the courthouse to sit in front of the judge and get another date for the trial. This is not happening any time soon. They’re trying to get in front of a judge to resolve issues.”
Schon added that by requesting a trial “this early in the game,” it seems like Cheryl is attempting to put her marriage “in the rearview mirror” and “call it a day like it never happened.”
“It appears she’s wanting to speed up the process and wants to get this done. She wants to just put this in the rearview mirror and she doesn’t want to deal with any of these issues and call it a day like it never happened,” said Schon.
On a May 2022 episode of her new podcast “Burke in the Game,” Cheryl admitted to guest and “Dancing With the Stars” alum Jana Kramer that she is “grieving” the loss of her marriage and is really trying to sit with her feelings about the whole thing.
“I’m still grieving and I think I will be for a while. It hasn’t been as easy as maybe — I never would think it would be easy — but just the pain of it. … There’s just a lot and I’m choosing to feel my feelings, which brings up so much shit from the past. I don’t know, it’s difficult,” said Cheryl, adding, “I’m feeling my feelings, so I’ve chosen to really be alone and feel because I can’t mask it anymore. It’s too much.”
Cheryl also told talk show host Tamron Hall during an appearance on her show that the divorce feels “like a death.”
“It is painful, it is like a death — it is a death, right? There’s no specific way on how to grieve. Everyone grieves differently,” said Cheryl, adding, “He will always have a special place in my heart, for sure. I have so much love for him and his family, forever.”
“Dancing With the Stars” returns for its 31st season in the fall of 2022 on Disney Plus.
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