Dennis Quaid seeks to end $13,750 monthly child support after twins

Dennis Quaid, 72, has filed a court petition to terminate his $13,750‑per‑month child‑support obligation to ex‑wife Kimberly Buffington now that their twins, Zoe and Thomas, are set to graduate high school. The request also asks that any income‑based supplemental payments be prorated to each child’s graduation date rather than based on his full‑year earnings [1].

Key takeaways

• Quaid’s divorce agreement allows child‑support payments to end when a child completes 12th grade [3].
• The twins’ graduations are scheduled for May 23 (Zoe) and June 3 (Thomas) [2].
• Quaid also seeks to prorate a potential income‑based bonus that triggers if his annual earnings exceed $1,314,000 [4].
• The settlement includes a $2 million non‑modifiable spousal‑support buyout and a $1 million equalization payment [3].
• Quaid’s former marriage to Buffington lasted from 2004 to 2018; he is now married to Laura Savoie [1].

Divorce terms and the petition

The 2018 divorce settlement between Quaid and Buffington specifies that child‑support payments may cease “when a child completes 12th grade (if still under 19 and a full‑time high school student) or reaches the other enumerated endpoints, whichever occurs first” [4]. Quaid’s petition, filed on May 22, argues that both twins will meet that condition by June 3, the date of Thomas’s graduation, thereby ending the $13,750 monthly obligation [3]. In addition, the agreement requires Quaid to pay an extra sum each year if his income exceeds $1,314,000; he now asks that this supplemental amount be calculated only up to each child’s graduation date, not his entire 2026 earnings [1].

Background and family context

Quaid and Buffington married in July 2004 and welcomed the twins in November 2007. After a series of separations and reconciliations, Buffington filed for divorce in 2016; the divorce was finalized in 2018 [3]. The settlement granted joint legal and physical custody, with Buffington having the children 75 % of the time due to Quaid’s career schedule [3]. Beyond the twins, Quaid shares a son, Jack, with his former wife Meg Ryan [1]. He married his current wife, Laura Savoie, in 2020 [2].

Why it matters

The petition highlights how divorce agreements can tie child‑support obligations to specific milestones such as high‑school graduation. If the court approves Quaid’s request, the monthly payments will cease, and the income‑based supplemental payments will be adjusted, potentially reducing Quaid’s future financial obligations. The case also underscores the ongoing legal and financial complexities that can arise for high‑profile individuals after divorce, especially when earnings fluctuate and child‑support terms are tied to earnings thresholds.