Minnesota television fans may remember the whirlwind courtship and marriage of Kaley Cuoco and Ryan Sweeting more than two years ago. Now the couple has divorced, and after months of negotiations, a financial settlement has been reached. Cuoco has been ordered to pay Sweeting a lump sum payment in installments, plus cover a portion of his legal fees.
The actress from the popular TV comedy “The Big Bang Theory” and her tennis player ex-husband signed a prenuptial agreement prior to their December 2013 marriage. The divorce settlement calls for Cuoco to pay Sweeting two installments totaling $165,000, according to a report from People magazine. Cuoco will also pay Sweeting’s legal fees up to $55,000 and a legal debt of nearly $10,000 that Sweeting owes. In the absence of a prenuptial agreement, it is likely that he would have been entitled to receive a great deal more.
Cuoco came out of the divorce with the couple’s home in Tarzana, California, and their beach house in the Santa Barbara area. The couple was married after three-months of dating in 2013. Cuoco is now rumored to be dating a professional equestrian, and has herself been involved in equestrian competitions. Sweeting is said to be retired from professional tennis.
Prenuptial agreements can be effective in solving a few types of divorce issues that otherwise could prolong the process and lead to bitter and expensive court battles. Family law attorneys will advise their clients that there are a few issues such as child custody and support, however, that cannot be contained in such a document, as courts have ruled that they are against public policy.