Florida

Ira M. Elegant, a Miami-based lawyer who has represented New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez and NBA star Shaquille O'Neal in divorce proceedings, said Woods' camp would have a hard time fooling anyone over the venue.

"The first thing somebody in the clerk's office would do is pick up the phone, and it would probably get out by word of mouth before they even dialed," he said.

Limiting what's in the filing, experts say, would be Woods' best chance to keep details private.

In Florida, a financial affidavit and a child-support worksheet, both requiring detailed assets and income statements, are among the documents that must be completed. There have been cases, however, where the court has allowed those numbers to remain blank. There's also a possibility that a judge could seal the filing in "the best interests of the children."

"If you can find a sympathetic judge, it's possible to keep a lot of information out of public record," Elegant said.