Lest you think RandBall is above the fray of tabloid-friendly stories ... we are not. OK, usually we are. But we have to admit the Tiger-Elin divorce story is interesting to us. And we had a few questions. Just as we had a few questions, we were afforded the chance to speak with New York attorney Stuart Slotnick. Per his bio, he "represented Melania Trump in her pre-nuptial agreement with Donald Trump and is currently the Managing Partner at the nationally renowned New York litigation firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney." He was nice enough to give us some time on the phone this afternoon, usurping for a few minutes the place that Rocket usually has as the RandBall legal expert.

RandBall: Anything unusual about the way this all played out?
Stuart Slotnick: I don't think there was anything unusual in a high-profile, big-money case to proceed like this, where everything is worked out ahead of time, is subject to confidentiality, parties appear and it's stamped and over with. The reason it happens like that is because Tiger needed this to go away and go away quickly. He needs to build back his public image, he's distracted and his golf game is suffering -- he needs to put it behind him for those reasons. The last thing he wanted was a public trial and a re-airing of his many loads of his dirty. ... We can presume that Tiger knew that if he couldn't quietly settle this case that Elin may have not stayed on the high road, and we can also presume that because this was so quick and quiet and confidential that Tiger paid top dollar in this divorce. ... She has never spoken publicly about the affairs or her marriage, and we can expect that we will not hear from Elin because of a confidentiality agreement. RB: There have been all sorts of rumors, and I'd had to put a dollar figure in your mouth, but roughly speaking where do you think they stand now financially? SS: They are both going to be well off forever … how about that? The rumor that I have heard has been anywhere between $100 million and $500 million for her. And in this rare case, it is not inconceivable that she will receive half a billion dollars. I'll tell you why: To settle this case, she has claims. There is equitable distribution. Part of what she's receiving in the settlement is, "what is the value of Tiger Woods?" During the course of their marriage, the value of the Tiger Woods brand grew into a billion dollar industry. While she was taking care of the kids, he was focusing on his career. She would be entitled to a large payout because of that. And don't forget Tiger wanted it settled … and the way he could do that quickly and quietly is being overly reasonable on the financial terms. RB: What would happen if she wanted to air the dirty laundry? SS: We can only guess what's in the agreement. The last thing Tiger wanted was to further tarnish his reputation. Elin can further tarnish his reputation by speaking out about how hurt she's been and how she's been betrayed. We can only guess she's restricted from speaking … and if she does, there may be a provision where she's liable to certain damages or Tiger could potentially sue her for breach of contract. Judging from the fact that Elin took the high road from the very beginning, it's likely that she will remain on the high road with a very large bank account. RB: If you were advising either side, would you have had it play out this way? SS: You really have to look at the client's best interests. Don't forget there are two kids involved. I think the approach that Tiger and Elin took was the right one. If this had become a media circus trial, the children would have been involved and it would not have been in their best interests. I believe they were both interested in the children. That's why it was quick, quiet and confidential.