Alpha Consumer

John Cleese: How to Save Money on Divorce

By Kimberly Palmer

Posted: March 25, 2009

John Cleese, the incompetent hotel manager from Fawlty Towers, has proved himself a savvy divorcée. He has reportedly cut his million-pounds-a-year-plus payouts to his former wife in half. So, as thousands of divorcing men and women might like to know, how did he do it?

The key appears to have been convincing the courts that he no longer earned the kind of money that he used to -- and that he was under no obligation to support his former wife in the manner to which she had become accustomed. (For her part, Alyce Faye Eichelberger says that she was used to "'being entertained by royalty and dignitaries in castles" while married to Cleese, according to the Daily Mail.)

While Cleese had a lucrative year in 2007 because of a real estate sale and earnings from Shrek 3, he argued that it wasn't fair to base his spousal support on such high numbers. Now, he says, he earns closer to £76,000 a month and he had to sell his California home for less than he planned because of the economy. It's a situation many divorcing couples can relate to -- and possibly learn from.

Easy

Stay married. It may be more expensive, but it does save money on divorce. Marriage is not just heavy dating. The promises made were until death do you part. If you can't walk the walk, don't talk the talk.

HillbillyBill of TN @ Mar 26, 2009 08:00:15 AM

thanks

Thanks Bonnie- I hadn't considered that aspect.

Kimberly Palmer of DC @ Mar 25, 2009 14:19:50 PM

Saving Money on Divorce - After the Divorce

Not mentioned in the article? How much the attorneys made.

Largely due to the pr efforts of the court, reporters neither investigate nor report the reality of family court; which is all about litigation, not resolution. Unfortunately, due this lack of coverage litigants still believe family court is about "the best interests of the child" when in fact, that's the marketing mantra for all comers.

As the founder of www.FamilyLawCourts.com what I find most interesting is the public is only just now is discovering the single most intrusive form of government is a family court judge.

But what I find even more curious is that the reality of the busiest court in the country, the reality of one court most used most often and for the longest period of time, is it is largely ignored by media who content with their own bias and misconceptions based on preconceptions, is that family court is a "he said - she said."

Family Court promotes perjury and is always about more conflict. Judges act more like marketing reps for all comers, expressly ignoring the wishes of the very children who would like to speak. Why? (Because clearly, this defies logic) Because listening to a child means the industry would be cut in half. And judges do like business. The business of government is business. This is especially true in family court.

Bonnie Russell of CA @ Mar 25, 2009 13:31:35 PM

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Alpha Consumer

Alpha Consumer

Kimberly Palmer, senior editor for U.S. News & World Report, writes about how to save money, avoid scams, manage debt, and be a savvy shopper. Send your personal finance questions to her for expert money advice.


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