Married couples in Maryland understand there are several decisions that need to be made when they decide to call it quits. Dissolving a marriage could require the couple to itemize their property in order to determine proper distribution. This process could lead to disputes and lengthen the entire process, especially if the divorcing couple does not agree on certain distributions.
In recent celebrity news, it was reported that the divorce of singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach of the Grammy winning rock band The Black Keys was finalized. Auerbach recently divorced his wife of nearly five years, and the divorce included a multi-million dollar property division settlement. The settlement awarded his ex-wife $5 million, a car and one of the couple’s houses.
While all of this may seem fairly standard for a successful rock and roll marriage gone wrong, the property division agreement also stipulated that “Bob Dylan’s hair” was to be awarded to his ex-wife. This curious keepsake sparked quite a bit of interest amongst tabloids and news outlets.
Many were curious as to how the couple came across such unusual property, as well as what they were keeping it for. This wasn’t the first time celebrity hair has become an object of interest, as Mick Jagger, Elvis and even Justin Bieber have had their hair sell for big bucks. So in many senses, Bob Dylan’s hair was a piece of music memorabilia with a tangible value.
Property division is not just about money, retirement accounts, real estate and other items with apparent market value; it can also include many objects that have primarily sentimental value. Asset division can be tricky, especially when oddities such as rock star hair enter the equation, but there’s nothing funny about the property division process when two people are after the same item or asset.
To a divorcing couple, these items can be just as coveted as the monetarily valuable assets, which is why people need to have the guidance and expertise of a professional with experience in complex property division. Even when one is reluctant to part with a prized possession, options such as mediation could help the divorcing couple with these property division issues.
Source: Time, “Follicle Fail: Black Keys’ Star Loses ‘Bob Dylan’s Hair’ in Divorce,” Melissa Locker, Aug. 26, 2013