Musician’s daughter loses guitar in divorce property division

Posted in Property Division on May 18, 2018

A treasured heirloom is no longer in the family. Frances Bean Cobain, daughter of late Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain, recently divorced from her husband of two years. In the ensuing property division, a judge ruled that the ex-husband will be allowed to keep a prized guitar formerly belonging to the musician. California fans of Nirvana may be interested to learn more details about the incident. 

The guitar in question is a Martin acoustic guitar used by Kurt Cobain during the famous MTV Unplugged performance in 1993. Kurt Cobain committed suicide the following year. The guitar itself is valued in the millions of dollars. Ms. Cobain’s ex claimed that the guitar was gifted to him by the musician’s daughter. 

She argued that the guitar is a priceless family heirloom and that it should not be given to the ex-husband. In her divorce filing, she also claimed that her ex-husband should have no rights to the inheritance from her father’s estate, which she considers separate property. Unfortunately for Ms. Cobain, a judge did not agree with her arguments about the guitar and allowed the ex-husband to keep it. 

It is not yet clear what other assets may have been awarded to the ex-husband during the property division. It is said that Ms. Cobain is interested in moving on and has been dating as well as working on her own artistic career. Other individuals in California considering divorce may face similar property issues with family heirlooms. Many people choose to consult with an experienced family law attorney for assistance in reaching a fair settlement. 

Source: People, “Frances Bean Cobain Loses Kurt’s Guitar in Divorce Settlement“, Alexia Fernandez, May 15, 2018