Posts

Mel Gibson’s child custody dispute is settled

The child custody fight between Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend has been one of the most hotly contested custody disputes in recent memory. As you may remember, Gibson began his relationship with Oksana Grigorieva following his split from his wife, and Oksana gave birth to their daughter. Since that time, Gibson and Grigorieva have had a tumultuous breakup, with embarrassing allegations being publicly hurled by both sides. Gibson and Grigorieva have been involved in their child custody dispute ever since, until now.

Last week, news broke that Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend had agreed to a settlement in a child custody case involving their daughter. However, the details remained unclear. A spokesperson for the actor declined to comment as to whether this agreement settled the various issues between the two, but thanked the judge for offering assistance in arriving at the agreement. This week, the details became public.

According to the L.A. Times, Gibson and Grigorieva will share joint legal custody of their daughter. Under their agreement, Grigorieva will be able to remain in her current home with her daughter, and Gibson will pay her $750,000 in three installments over the course of the next five years.

The parties reached an interesting agreement regarding privacy issues and the mansion that Gibson has provided for Grigorieva and their daughter. Upon their daughter’s 18th birthday, the house will be sold and the proceeds will be placed in a trust for the daughter, and not Grigorieva. In addition, the agreement prohibits either party from writing a book about their relationship.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, “Mel Gibson to pay mother of his toddler $750,000,” Richard Winton, Aug. 31, 2011

Reuters, “Mel Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva settle child custody,” Aug. 27, 2011

/by

Could it Happen in Wisconsin? Gibson to pay $20k in Child Support

In a story that cannot escape from the headlines, Mel Gibson has been ordered to pay an increased amount of child support to Oksana Grigorieva. Previously, he had been required to pay $5,000 monthly to Ms. Grigorieva for the needs of their daughter, Lucia. Now he’ll need to pay $20,000 each month.

Ms. Grigorieva argued the previous amount of $5,000 was insufficient, because eleven-month-old Lucia required extensive security around the clock. Grigorieva apparently requested as much $60,000 per month. In this case, the family court judge did not give her everything she requested, but $20,000 is no small sum. If this was a Wisconsin child support case and not one coming from Hollywood, one would have to ask: Can a father be ordered to pay as much as $20,000 per month for only one child?

The state of Wisconsin has established a formula for determining the amount of child support to be paid. The most important factors are the gross income and assets of both parents. When it comes to couples who have a large disparity in net worth or earning power, large child support awards like the awards in the Gibson case are very possible.

It is important to note that family law judges have a significant amount of discretion when it comes to fixing an amount for child support. Judges can order a greater amount than the fixed percentage, or a lesser amount. The most important factor in this type of decision is the best interests of the child, and the state of Wisconsin has established procedures for judges to depart from the guidelines. Because judges have significant power in deciding how much support is to be paid, it is important to be fully prepared at child support hearings.

St. Petersburg Times: Oksana Grigorieva gets $20k in child support per month from Mel Gibson; Joshua Gillin, 10/1/2010

/by

Mel Gibson Ordered to pay Child Support Bill

Last month, we wrote about Mel Gibson’s hefty child support bill of $20,000 per month for his 1-year-old daughter. Recently, Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva were back in court arguing over several things, including that $20,000 per month bill, child custody, and visitation.

Gibson has already been paying $6,000 per month for the house Grigorieva shares with her mother. Since being ordered to pay the $20,000 monthly, Gibson has withheld payments while he tried to determine if he could deduct the $6,000 housing payment from the $20,000 child support payment.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon denied Gibson’s request that the housing payment be deducted from the child support payment, and ordered Gibson to pay $60,000 in back support.

The matter of child custody and visitation remain unresolved at present. Both Gibson and Grigorieva are seeking custody of their daughter. But, not only does Grigorieva want full custody of the baby, she has requested that the court deny Gibson visitation, alleging he is a danger to the child. Judge Gordon declined to make any decision on this request at this point in the proceedings.

Due to past allegations of abuse and heightened media attention to this case, Gibson is concerned about the potential of more private details and personal information coming to the attention of the media. Because of that concern, he requested a gag order, which would preclude both parties from speaking about the case with the media. Judge Gordon refused to issue a gag order, and Grigorieva taped an hour-long interview with Larry King shortly thereafter. However, Judge Gordon did order the parties’ depositions sealed from public access.

Although the issue of child support is resolved for now, the ultimate issues of child custody and visitation remain to be decided. The next hearing in the Gibson-Grigorieva case is scheduled for next Monday and we will keep you posted when new information is available.

Source: CBS News: Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva Together Again for Closed-Door Custody Hearing; Caroline Black, 11/11/2010

/by

Mel Gibson and wife reach deal to end two-year divorce case

Over the course of his 28-year marriage, Mel Gibson has accumulated a significant amount of assets. In addition to his wildly successful acting career, Gibson has also pioneered several successful projects as a director. He won a pair of Oscars for his famed 1995 film Braveheart, in which he both starred and directed.

Now, the two-year divorce case between actor Mel Gibson and his wife, Robyn, has finally ended. The former husband and wife reached a deal, which included a marital property settlement dividing the assets the couple shared together.

The divorce proceedings won’t be complete until a family court judge finalizes the agreement, which is expected to happen sometime in August. Details of the settlement between the 55-year-old Gibson, who is estimated to be worth somewhere around $900 million, were not released to the public.

The divorce was initially filed by Gibson’s wife and mother of seven kids back in 2009, following 28 years of marriage. Robyn’s divorce petition cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce. This all occurred after Gibson’s infamous drunken driving arrest in 2006 in which he exploded into a controversial rant in front of law enforcement.

Gibson continued to be a lightning rod for controversy and legal woes after a 2010 altercation with his then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva nearly landed him in hot water. Gibson pleaded no contest to battery charges, received three years on probation and was ordered to receive domestic violence and mental health counseling.

Along with the couples’ seven children, Gibson also has a 20-month-old daughter with Grigorieva who has been the subject of an ongoing child custody and child support dispute.

Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation News, “Mel Gibson reaches divorce deal,” 6/29/2011

/by