Demi Moore seeks spousal support from Kutcher

Demi Moore has filed a response to Ashton Kutcher’s divorce filing in which she asks for significant spousal support and a portion of his earnings amassed while they were married. Mr. Kutcher entered the marriage with a lower net worth and less income than Ms. Moore, but has found increasing success in recent years which has included a long term television contract, endorsements, and successful investments in tech companies.

In the entertainment industry, reputation and notoriety can be major factors in getting job offers and endorsement deals, so Ms. Moore does have a good argument to make if she decides to claim that a part of his earnings are due to her for her contribution to his overall image. Since the couple did not have a prenuptial agreement, a court may find that the money that each spouse earned during the marriage was marital property and is subject to equitable division.

The average Las Vegas reader is likely not considering the impacts of high value endorsement deals or lucrative network television contracts when considering their prenuptial agreement, but this case shows how much can change over the course of a marriage and how important it can be to consider the wide ranging possibilities before walking down the aisle.

A lot of people balk from prenuptial agreements because they think that the agreements are not romantic or because they are wary of seeming like they are planning for a divorce. In reality, discussing these complex financial issues and creating a plan before the marriage begins can help facilitate important conversations that couples often avoid having about how they want to manage and mingle their finances and assets.

Source: USA Today, “Demi Moore files divorce papers seeking spousal support,” Ann Oldenburg, March 7, 2013.

More information about prenuptial agreements and high asset divorce can be found on our Las Vegas family law site.