Lindsey Buckingham is a 71-year-old American singer, songwriter, and music producer. He was a member of the super-rock group Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and again from 1997 to 2018. His personal tempestuous relationship with fellow member Stevie Nicks was the theme for their hit songs Dreams and Go Your Own Way. Both songs are about their very public break-up.
Buckingham met photographer and interior designer Kristen Messner in the 1990s and had their son, William, together in 1998. They married in 2000, and had two more children, Leelee in 2000, and Stella in 2004.
On June 2, 2021, Messner filed for dissolution of marriage from Buckingham in Los Angeles County citing irreconcilable differences.
California is a no-fault divorce state, meaning the only “grounds” for divorce is that differences that cannot be reconciled have cause the marriage to break down. Spousal support may be granted to a spouse who is not financially able to maintain their marital life style and the other spouse has the ability to pay support. Usually, spousal support is granted for no longer than half of the marriage, unless it was a long-term marriage. The court stops retention of the issue of spousal support once the term of support is ended.
In California, a long-term marriage is one that lasts longer than ten years. The Buckingham – Messner marriage lasted for 21 years, and spousal support may be an issue. If so, the court will take into consideration the supported spouse’s ability to be self-supporting in the future and retain jurisdiction over the spousal support issue.
Since William and Leelee are adults, child custody and child support will not be an issue for Buckingham and Messner. Stella, however, is 17, and child support and child custody may be an issue until she becomes 18 (or 19 if she is a full- time high school student).