Lots of headlines out there trumpeting, “Miley Cyrus’s parents divorcing”! But I’m old enough to remember that there would be no Miley if it were not for Billy Ray Cyrus’s Achy Breaky Heart back in the early 1990s. So, we’ll call this Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus are getting a divorce.

Billy Ray apparently filed divorce paperwork in Williamson County, Tennessee this week, citing no-fault grounds (irreconcilable differences) and asking for shared custody of the couple’s minor children.

The family has a home in Williamson County (just outside of Nashville) where they lived until Miley and Billy Ray’s work on the Hannah Montana television show (and Miley’s burgeoning stardom) required them to take up residence in California as well.

There is no indication that the parties have a prenuptial agreement, although they did marry at the height of Billy Ray’s Achy Breaky Heart fame in late 1993.

The couple have five children. Miley will be 18 in late November. Braison is 16. Noah is 10. There are also two older children – Tish’s kids from a previous relationship – Trace and Brandi. Billy Ray adopted them as children – but they are not implicated in this divorce as they are no longer minors.

Neither parent will be required to pay child support for Miley – as she will be 18 by the time the divorce is finalized and is, presumably, not attending high school (if she were, Tennessee law would require child support for her until graduation).

Division of property, determination of spousal support and calculation of child support for the other children will be interesting. From the outside, it may appear that Billy Ray outearns Tish due to his acting and music careers. However, as indicated on the divorce petition, Tish is involved in artist management – namely, the management of her daughter Miley’s career (as well as that of the youngest Cyrus, Noah). So, Tish’s management percentage may be quite substantial.

Library Topics: divorce, shared custody, prenuptial agreement, no-fault divorce, step-parent adoption, child support calculation, division of marital property, spousal support