A former celebrity couple’s divorce agreement contains some rather interesting terms regarding the couple’s child.
Paul Doucette and Moon Zappa are the former couple in question. Doucette is the drummer of the band Matchbox Twenty and Zappa is the daughter of the deceased musician Frank Zappa. The former couple’s divorce was recently finalized.
The settlement the two reached in their divorce contains terms regarding many financial issues, including child support, spousal support and the division of proceeds from certain songs that Doucette wrote or co-wrote.
Also, the settlement has many terms related to the former couple’s 9-year-old daughter. Several of these terms are fairly unique. Among the terms are that:
- Neither Doucette nor Zappa is allowed to use hotel babysitting services or similar things when it comes to providing babysitting for their daughter.
- Video shoots or photo shoots done for the daughter’s career will be allowed.
- The daughter will receive music lessons.
- The daughter will receive a private-school education.
This illustrates an important point: agreements between divorcing parties regarding their children can go far beyond setting who the kids will live with, what the visitation/custody schedule will be and what sort of child support payments will be required. The wide range of terms such agreements can contain make it so a divorcing couple with kids can tailor their divorce agreement to address the child-related things that are unique to their particular family situation, which can be a very important thing. Family law attorneys can review a divorcing parent’s family situation and give them advice as to what sorts of terms regarding their child they may want to seek to have included in a divorce agreement that is being negotiated.
Source: TMZ, “Moon Zappa Divorce – Our Kid Will Still Get the Star Treatment,” April 11, 2014