January 9, 2009: Fumbling the ball

Real Housewives star Sheree Whitfield appealing her divorce settlement.

Most people would be thrilled with a divorce settlement that gave them more than $1.1 million in cash, marital property, and portions of three NFL retirement programs. But for reality-TV star Sheree Whitfield -- who recently divorced former football pro Bob Whitfield -- that doesn't quite cut it.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sheree Whitfield, a cast member on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta, is appealing a settlement that included a lump sum of $775,000, as well as an annual $113,422 in her ex's retirement funds and $2,142.87 in monthly child support. However, her divorce lawyers now say that her limited education and inability to earn income are a severe disadvantage compared to her wealthy ex-husband, who had a six-year, $30 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. (Sheree Whitfield only has a high-school diploma, and her attempt to start a clothing boutique failed.)

More information on divorce settlement: Divorce online poll & results   Join Divorce Forum   Love in Ruins   Top Ten Things To Know in Divorce

The settlement did not include any spousal support, and the Georgia Supreme Court evicted Sheree Whitfield and the couple's children from their $2.6 million home in Sandy Springs, GA, just north of Atlanta. EURweb.com reports her claim that she cannot afford to buy a new house in the neighborhood where the children have grown up.

Bob Whitfield's divorce attorneys want the court to fine his ex-wife $2,500 for initiating a frivolous appeal, according to EURweb.com.

"We are in the final stages of the divorce and the settlement," the Real Housewives star recently told People. "I feel like I am single already because we have been separated for at least three or four years. I am just ready to do my thing and focus on me, my kids, my family, and friends."

The Whitfields divorced in 2007 after seven years of marriage. Their two children were 11 and eight at the time.

Sheree Whitfield has appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta since the series began in autumn 2008. She is also trying to start a new clothing line called She By Sheree. Bob Whitfield, 37, played for the Falcons from 1992 to 2003 and announced his retirement from professional football in February 2007. He is now a guest NFL analyst for Sky Sports in the U.K.

• Cover Your Liabilities (and Your Assets, Too)
• Making Your Case for Spousal Support
• When Your Ex Won't Pay

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