An 86-day, $13 million divorce trial has ended with a judge awarding a Westport travel magnate sole custody of his four children and the right to keep most of his fortune.
In a written ruling, Judge Holly Abery-Wetstone said Nancy Tauck's claims that her ex-husband possessed child pornography and molested two of his children were "false and spurious."
"This case represents not a victory for either parent, but a tragedy for everyone involved," Abery-Wetstone wrote.
She awarded Peter Tauck sole custody of the couple's children, ages 5 to 10. She said that as a result of Nancy Tauck's actions, two children were put through interviews for sexual abuse and all started therapy.
The trial easily beat the previous state record of 37 trial days for a divorce case and may have set a national record as well.
"This couple fought tooth and nail over every possible issue, generating new issues whenever possible," Abery-Wetstone wrote.
At first, Nancy Tauck, 48, will be limited to monitored 10-minute daily phone conversations with each child.
She can earn additional time with her children by completing an inpatient alcohol rehabilitation program and months of supervised visitation.
Peter Tauck, 50, must attend at least two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week, continue treatment for attention deficit disorder, and employ a full-time nanny.
Nancy Tauck wanted 55 percent of her husband's approximately $50 million net worth and alimony of $125,000 a month for 17 years.
Instead, Peter Tauck was ordered to pay $33,333 a month for six years and $20,833 per month for two years after that. He gets to keep the family's $5.7 million Westport home and $3.6 million vacation home in Lake Placid, N.Y. He must pay Nancy Tauck $7 million, with $2 million going directly to her lawyers, and $1 million a year for the next five years.
A message seeking comment was left Tuesday with Nancy Tauck's attorney, Wayne D. Effron.
Attorney Gaetano Ferro, who represented the children, declined comment to The Hartford Courant.
Peter Tauck's attorney, Tom Colin, said his favorite part of the 132-page ruling is the judge's signature at the end.
"Because it means it's over, and hopefully now this family can move on with its life, peacefully, once and for all," Colin said. "This was the most intense, contentious case I've been involved in, without a doubt."
