Divorce settlement means hard work for John Cleese

Wisconsin residents who follow celebrity divorces may be interested in John Cleese’s divorce settlement with his third wife. In 2008, Mr. Cleese and his wife, Alyce Faye Eichelberger, divorced. The couple agreed to the terms of their divorce settlement in 2009 that allegedly specified that his wife would receive $13 million in marital assets and cash as well as almost $1 million a year until 2016. The 16-year marriage between John Cleese and his wife, who is a psychotherapist, was childless.

Mr. Cleese, who has since remarried a woman 31 years younger than himself in August 2012, spoke about the financial difficulty a divorce may precipitate. Mr. Cleese, 74, said a great deal of hard work was necessary for him to meet the demands of spousal support obligations. He states that his choice of projects is dependent, in part, on earning enough to pay alimony, and he even named one project “The Alimony Tour.” He also suggested that his income from past projects, such as his time with “Monty Python,” was not sufficient to meet these current obligations. Cleese said that selling property was necessary and now owns just one from the original five owned during his marriage.

In Wisconsin, spousal maintenance may be required temporarily or permanently, depending on the differing circumstances of each couple. Determinations regarding such payments include factors such as the length of the marriage, the income of the involved parties and the earning capacity of the parties.

When couples divorce, alimony considerations are just one of many issues that parties may face. As Mr. Cleese’s case shows, the effects of divorce agreements may affect the long-term financial futures of both individuals. A family law attorney may be able to help couples reach an agreement that is equitable and provides support for all the parties involved.

Source: The Huffington Post, “John Cleese’s Alimony Payments Are No Laughing Matter“, January 31, 2014