Money puts Kutcher-Moore divorce on hold

It was nearly one year ago that we wrote about the separation of actors Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. At the time, neither spouse had actually filed for divorce, but we speculated that Moore would do so in the very near future. You can read more about their split, including statements m each spouse, in our earlier Las Vegas divorce law blog post.

Now, a year later, it is clear that a divorce filing was not on the near horizon when the Moore-Kutcher split was first announced. In fact, the couple has not yet begun the official legal divorce process. So what is the reason for the delay? According to media reports, that reason is money.

Last year, Kutcher earned $24 million from his television show “Two And A Half Men” and other ventures. This made him the highest-earning actor on TV. It is not known how much Moore earned, but that amount is believed to be significantly less.

With their significant disparity in earnings, media reports are speculating that Kutcher does not want to give Moore a large divorce settlement. As such, the couple and their family law attorneys are reportedly trying to work out a property division settlement agreement on their own. In doing so, they are hoping to avoid having their case decided in family court, in what would likely be a very public and closely-scrutinized court proceeding.

This is a good example of the difficulties and delays that can arise when a divorcing couple is attempting to negotiate the division of a large marital estate. Utilizing skilled family law attorneys and financial professionals can make this process much less stressful.

Source: The Huffington Post, “Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher: Money Is Slowing Down Divorce Proceedings” Oct. 22, 2012