Taliah Aquilini leaves the British Columbia Supreme court in downtown Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Sept., 9, 2013. Taliah and her former husband Francesco Aquilini have reached a deal in their divorce and will return to court later in the week to finalize the details. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
September 11, 2013 - 10:31 AM
VANCOUVER - A judge has formally signed off on the divorce between Vancouver Canucks co-owner Francesco Aquilini and his wife Taliah.
The couple separated in January 2011 and have spent the past two years fighting a bitter legal case that included allegations of adultery and threatened to reveal details of the Aquilini family business.
Most of the details of the settlement will remain secret, but lawyers presented a proposal for an order that would see Taliah Aquilini take custody and guardianship of the couple's three youngest children.
Taliah Aquilini testified at the hearing to finalize the deal, confirming the dates of the couple's marriage and separation and telling a judge there is no chance the marriage can be reconciled.
Francesco Aquilini is one of five family members, including his parents and two brothers, who own the Aquilini Investment Group, which in turn owns the Canucks, the team's arena in Vancouver and a list of other businesses.
The trial had the potential to reveal some of the inner-workers of the Aquilini Investment Group, which also owns a development and construction arm, blueberry and cranberry farms, and other corporations.
Earlier in the case, Taliah Aquilini accused Francesco of adultery and sought to bring that evidence into the trial, but the judge ruled such allegations would not be heard.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013