On June 6, actress Melanie Griffith filed for divorce from actor Antonio Banderas. The petition was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court and illustrates some of the issues parents of teens must deal with when going through a Pasadena divorce.
Banderas and Griffith were married in 1996. This is Griffith’s fourth divorce and Banderas’s second divorce. The split is said to be an amicable one, despite the fact that their combined assets are estimated at over $50 million. Assets to be divided in the divorce include commercial real estate in Los Angeles and Miami; several restaurants; and homes in Aspen, New York, L.A. and Spain.
Griffith is seeking sole physical and joint legal custody of their daughter Stella. Stella is their only child and will turn 18 in September. However, since she is underage at the time of the filing, child custody, visitation, and child support issues must still be decided.
In California, child support ends when the child turns 18 if he or she has already graduated from high school. If the child is still attending high school on a full-time basis when he or she turns 18, child support continues until graduation or the child’s 19th birthday.
When a divorce involves an older teen, one must also consider how the parents plan to pay for post-secondary educational expenses. There are a few states that require non-custodial parents to provide assistance with college costs, but most states have no case law or statutes holding non-custodial parents responsible for post-secondary education. In California, this issue must be addressed separately in the settlement. Agreements included in the divorce settlement will be upheld as long as the parent being asked to pay is still realistically able to do so.
How Can We Help?
Please call our office at (626) 683-8113 or email us at info@PasadenaLawOffice.com if you are in need of legal representation during your divorce. Our Pasadena family law firm can discuss your options and help you develop a strategy that best addresses your unique situation.