There is no one-size-fits-all answer about how couples should approach their finances. Some couples put all their money into a joint account and make all major financial decisions jointly, based on the belief that this fosters togetherness and transparency and discourages dishonesty; they might each take a small cash allowance each week or each month so they are not always arguing about what is a reasonable amount of money to spend on coffee during the morning commute to work. Others have mine, yours, and ours bank accounts, especially if they have children from previous marriages. Some, especially if they marry late in life, keep all their finances separate, based on the belief that marriage should be all about love and companionship and not about money. No matter which system you choose, all property you acquire during the marriage counts legally as marital property unless you sign a prenuptial agreement saying otherwise. Things get even more complicated when married couples are decision-makers in the same business entity or have a business relationship with each other, in addition to being spouses.
Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock
Kelly Clarkson, 40, is legally divorced from her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, 45. After much litigation, the court ruled that Clarkson must pay Blackstock a lump sum of $1.3 million in exchange for him vacating the couple’s ranch in Montana. She must also pay Blackstock $45,000 per month in child support until the couple’s two children reach adulthood, as well as $115,000 in alimony every month until January 2024. Clarkson’s legal issues with her former father-in-law are not over, though. She is still involved in ongoing litigation with Brandon’s father Narvel Blackstock, who managed Clarkson’s music career during her marriage. Among the unresolved issues are Clarkson’s agreement to give Narvel Blackstock’s company, Starstruck Management, 15% of her earnings, and Clarkson’s allegation that Narvel Blackstock is an unlicensed talent agent.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are among the most recognizable names of their generation, so it would be understandable if they had simply collaborated for the sake of a media spectacle, but in fact, they were married to each other from 2013 until 2021 and have four children together. Their breakup has included plenty of drama, most notably the disturbing video Valentine in which West expressed his displeasure over the fact that Kardashian was dating Pete Davidson, and now that Kardashian and Davidson have broken up, there is even media speculation that she may reconcile with her ex-husband. Meanwhile, money plays little to no role in their divorce dispute. As both parties were multimillionaires when they married, they signed a prenuptial agreement which declared all of their assets as separate property. It is likely that, since they both have multiple business ventures, they are even wealthier now than they were at the beginning of their relationship, but because of the prenuptial agreement, they do not have to share any of the money they earned during the marriage with each other.
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