Reporting on the latest development in the divorce of Arnold and Maria Shriver, the Los Angeles Times said Friday that the former governor has requested that the court overseeing the couple's divorce not award spousal support to Shriver. Some experts believe Schwarzenegger's request is indicative that Shriver may eventually be entitled to a sizeable amount of community property.

Schwarzenegger's request, which was made in papers filed on Wednesday, was accompanied by a request that he and Shriver pay attorneys fees and legal costs jointly. In her July 1 divorce petition, Maria Shriver had requested spousal support and her attorney, Laura Wasser, asked the court to assign the costs of the lawsuit to Schwarzenegger. The couple will also be seeking joint custody of their two minor children, 17-year-old Patrick and 13-year-old Christopher.

Few details are currently known about the amount of property involved in the suit, and experts have said that the couple's divorce will probably be kept fairly secretive, and will likely involve a private settlement or possibly meditation. Both Shriver and Schwarzenegger bring a substantial amount of wealth to the table, though.

Santa Monica divorce specialist Lynn Soodik, has said that Schwarzenegger's request that Shriver not be awarded spousal support shows that the assets he expects her to receive will likely generate enough interest to allow her to live the kind of lifestyle she lived over their 25 years of marriage. According to Soodik, Schwarzenegger either feels Shriver will have enough money that she doesn't need support, or he's acting aggressively.

Source: Los Angeles Times, "Schwarzenegger asks court not to award spousal support to Shriver," Victoria Kim, 22 July 2011.