Nick Lachey ready to settle for less

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Former 98 Degrees member Nick Lachey is ready to make his split from Jessica Simpson official by offering to take less money than he has earned.

Lachey agreed to walk away with less than 50 percent of the $36 million that the couple earned while they were married, reported TMZ.com Wednesday.

Under California law the couple should divide their property equally, meaning each should get $18 million.

When the superstar couple first split up, Simpson offered her man a measly $1.5 million, but reports say that while Nick has asked for more than that amount, he's still taking a massive cut order to avoid a long court battle.

Lachey is doing well after the split, winning two Teen Choice awards for the love song, "What's Left of Me," and choice male red carpet fashion icon. He is also dating MTV VJ Vanessa Minnillo.

Simpson has confirmed that she is not dating singer John Mayer, lost her voice to laryngitis and released her fifth album, "A Public Affair."