Illinois residents who are fans of actress Halle Berry may have heard of her recent court negotiations with the father of her six-year-old daughter. Berry has been ordered by a judge to pay her ex-boyfriend, a model, $16,000 per month in child support. This adds up to nearly $200,000 per year.
Berry must pay other expenses as well. She owes her ex-boyfriend $300,000 in court costs and $115,000 in retroactive payments. The two will split the costs of health care for the child, but Berry is responsible for her tuition. This is not the first time the former couple has been in court with a dispute over their child. In 2012, a judge ruled that she could not move the child to France.
Even parents without an income like Berry’s may deal with some of these same issues regarding child support and child custody. This case highlights some of the ways in which support and custody issues can play out that are different from traditional expectations. For example, it demonstrates that either parent may end up paying child support to the other based on income. It also demonstrates the difficulty of a breakup with an international element in that Berry was not permitted to relocate to France with her child. Finally, it also shows that an unmarried couple with children who split may grapple with the same issues as married couples.
During child custody negotiations, parents should try to do what is in the best interests of the child. For example, in this case, while Berry may have wanted her daughter with her in France, the judge likely determined that this distance from the father would not be good for the child.
Source: ABC News, “Halle Berry To Pay $16,000 Each Month In Child Support”, June 09, 2014
