Divorce decrees are contracts that are enforceable by law. While most of the issues relating to divorce can be settled between the two individuals untying the knot, only issues involving the children require the court to sign off on them. For that reason, some weird stuff has made it into divorce decrees. Below are some bizarre conditions that spouses have won in their divorce decrees.

Your New Wife Can’t Say Mean Things About Me

Disparaging your spouse is common in divorces. However, did you know that some couples attempt to prevent smack talk by placing a condition in their divorce decree? Recently, courts have ruled that this condition violates the First Amendment and is unenforceable, but Jennifer Lopez was required by her husband Marc Antony not to talk trash about his ex-wife Dayanarra Torres. 

Don’t Hassle the Hoff

David Hasselhoff is still alive, and all of his catchphrases are copyrighted to him. Even his ex-wife is not allowed to use them for monetary purposes. Hence, if you say “don’t hassle the Hoff,” you might be sued by David Hasselhoff, whose wife signed over the rights to these catchphrases in their divorce.

You Get to Split your Rental Property

Today, more couples are staying together simply because they cannot afford to live apart. This means that some former spouses end up splitting apartments because they lack the resources to go their separate ways. In one case, a judge ordered that an apartment be “split in half” so that the couple could reside together and maintain their privacy.

Remove Your Dead Parents From Your Family Farm

As part of a divorce settlement, a wife retained ownership of her husband’s family farm. One problem—his parents were buried there. The wife demanded that her former spouse dig up his parents and bury them elsewhere, as well as remove the memorial garden that commemorated their lives. 

You Will Pay My Ice Cream Expenses

A man divorced his wife in part because she spent too much money on ice cream. The judge took issue with the man and, as part of the divorce settlement, forced him to pay for his wife’s ice cream expenses for the duration of her natural life.

The Bottom Line

Divorce decrees are contracts enforceable by the courts that must be adhered to by both parties, or the parties can face court sanctions. For that reason, you can put almost anything into a divorce decree so long as it is not completely ludicrous. While not all of these cases happened in the United States, the U.S. contributes its fair share of weird divorce stories. Which one do you think is the weirdest?

Talk to an Indiana Divorce Attorney Today

Christopher Arrington represents the interests of divorcing Indiana couples. Call today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your options immediately.