When parents split up, they may enter into child support negotiations regardless of whether or not they were married. Providing monthly payments can provide children with the financial support that they need to thrive. Although both parents might agree that child support is necessary, they might have difficulty coming to terms with how much money should be paid out every month.
Singer Marc Anthony and his ex-wife, Dayanara Torres, are currently locked in a dispute over their current child support agreement. Torres claims that her ex-husband wasn’t forthright about his income during their divorce, so his child support payments should be increased significantly.
Currently, Anthony pays $13,000 month to support his two sons. Under Torres’ proposal, support payments would increase by $100,000 monthly. She says this will help one of their sons, who has special needs, and will more accurately reflect Anthony’s income.
When parents are trying to settle a child custody agreement, a number of factors are taken into account. Not is the income of both parents relevant, but the child’s needs are also considered. If there are ongoing expenses for daycare, school tuition, health care coverage or extra-curricular activities, then those items can be factored into a support settlement.
As time passes, parents might seek to modify a child support settlement. In this case, Torres believes her children should have access to more financial resources. On the other hand, parents may be able to reduce their child support payments under certain circumstances. Any modification must first be approved by the court before it can be enforced.
Fairness and the best interests of children are obviously very important when dealing with child support settlements. As such, a parent can work with a family law attorney to resolve disputes and work toward a positive settlement.
Source: Fox News Latino, “Marc Anthony’s First Ex-Wife Demands 10X More Child Support,” Nov. 26, 2013
