The dispute may have little impact on the divorce, since the former Hollywood couple is expected to reach a confidential, out-of-court settlement.

Schwarzenegger's filing Wednesday differs little from Shriver's initial petition for divorce, which was filed on July 1. Both seek joint custody of their sons, ages 17 and 13.

Neither indicated exactly when they separated, although they announced in May they were estranged and Schwarzenegger later admitted he fathered a child with a member of his household staff.

The former couple does not have a prenuptial agreement, according to their filings. That means Shriver would be entitled to half of Schwarzenegger's assets under California law, although the exact terms were expected to be set through private mediation.

Schwarzenegger would also be expected to provide financial support for his children. In other celebrity divorces, those sums have totaled tens of thousands of dollars a month.

Any agreement reached by Schwarzenegger and Shriver would become public only if there is a later dispute over its terms, or they opt to handle their divorce through a Superior Court judge.

Schwarzenegger's disclosure of his out-of-wedlock child forced a temporary halt to his acting comeback plans, although it was recently announced that he will appear in the upcoming film “Last Stand” as a border-town sheriff who unwittingly finds himself battling a notorious drug kingpin on the run.

Shriver, a Kennedy family heiress and former network television journalist, has not announced her plans.

Even before the breakup with Schwarzenegger was revealed, she appeared in videos posted on YouTube and talked about stress in her life, the weight of expectations, and the search for faith in a troubled world.

Schwarzenegger's legal filing was first reported Thursday by celebrity website TMZ.