Why Hallmark Stars Shantel VanSanten & Victor Webster's Divorce Settlement Will Keep Them Connected

Shantel VanSanten and Victor Webster's time filming Hallmark's "Love Blossoms" in 2016 stirred up a real-life rom-com scenario. Speaking to Brides in 2022, VanSanten shared that she struck up a friendship with her co-star in no time and even wound up advising Webster on his love life. About a year later, their platonic relationship evolved into something more romantic. Webster popped the question in February 2021 and the Hallmark stars went on to marry each other three different times later that same year. Unfortunately, though, VanSanten and Webster couldn't make their fairytale romance last and they split up after two years of marriage. 

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly in April 2023, Webster was the one who filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the initial breakup, which occurred in January. Meanwhile, in June, court documents acquired by People revealed that the former spouses were "in mediation and any issues regarding spousal support will be determined." It took the "Days Of Our Lives" alum and his former co-star over a year to iron out the specifics of their divorce agreement, only reaching a rather odd conclusion in July 2024. 

Under normal circumstances, a celebrity couple who didn't share any children naturally wouldn't see much of each other post-divorce. However, in the case of VanSanten and Webster, they had a few reasons to stay in touch: The former couple's dog, Nova, and their two cats, Finnegan and Phillippa. Unsurprisingly, they ensured they were legally allowed to continuing seeing their fur babies.

We initially learned the details of Shantel VanSanten and Victor Webster's hush-hush divorce through court documents procured by People. These papers confirmed that Webster had been declared the sole owner of their dog, but VanSanten was given clearance to frequently visit the pup. However, the "Final Destination" star couldn't keep their fur baby in her care for more than three weeks at a time unless she wanted to pay her ex-husband a whopping $10,000-per-day fine until he got Nova back. Furthermore, VanSanten had to keep the "Workin' Moms" alum in the loop about their dog's whereabouts. Elsewhere, the exes agreed on joint custody of their two cats. However, they would reside at Webster's brother, Vincent's home. Both parties also consented to shell out $1,500 to Vincent on a yearly basis to compensate him for caring for the felines. 

Naturally, a divorce agreement heavily centered around pets seemed strange. And, when we asked Holly Davis, a nationally-recognized family law trial attorney, if she regularly came across pet custody agreements, the expert exclusively told us that she had only seen one successful occurrence in her long-standing career. Davis asserted that dogs were classified as a part of marital assets but legal professionals understood that people were emotionally attached to their pets, so they allowed them to spend exorbitant amounts on mediation to decide ownership. However, "Typically, courts will not go so far as to issue a court-ordered dog possession schedule or issue court-ordered support for the dog."

Family law trial attorney Holly Davis exclusively informed The List that a pet custody agreement could give Shantel VanSanten and Victor Webster a reason to remain in each other's lives going forward. However, she also warned that such arrangements can quickly turn complicated when the exes move to different places, or get into new relationships and no longer want to speak to their former spouse as much. Ultimately, though, VanSanten and Webster's divorce agreement didn't just outline their pet arrangements. As reported by People, the legal documents also established that the exes would put their once-shared home up for sale and divide the proceeds from it equally. The "One Tree Hill" alum also agreed to pay her ex-husband $25,000 to even out their divorce settlement. 

Shortly after everything was finalized, both parties took to their respective Instagram Stories to cryptically hint at why the marriage ended. VanSanten seemingly claimed that the "Five Star Christmas" star didn't put his best foot forward in their relationship as she shared a quote that read, "Let go. Don't allow yourself to get comfortable existing in spaces where you know you deserve better. Love is not meant to be given in the bare minimum." Then, just one day later, Webster posted a Story expressing his desire to find a mature, drama-free love. His chosen quote read in part: "Your partner should give you peace of mind and reassurance, not constant little heart attacks and high anxiety," (via People).