If you areseeking joint custody of your children in your Pasadena divorce, you may have been surprised by the recent announcement that actress Halle Berry has been ordered to pay $16,000 per month in child support to model Gabriel Aubry even though the pair shares custody of their six-year-old daughter Nahla.
Sometimes, parents push for joint physical custody because they think it will help them avoid having to pay child support. It’s true that the percentage of time the child is physically in your care affects child support, but the higher earning parent may still need to pay child support if there is a large discrepancy in the incomes of each parent. In this case, the purpose of child support is to ensure that the child enjoys an adequate standard of living in both homes. The court believes that children are entitled to share in the benefits afforded by a parent’s high income regardless of where they are living at any given time.
Child support was ordered in the Halle Berry case because her earnings as an actress are much higher than Gabriel Aubry's modeling income. In addition to the nearly $200,000 per year she’ll be paying in child support, Berry was also ordered to pay $115,000 in retroactive support, pay the full cost of Nahla’s school tuition, and to handle Aubry’s $300,000 in legal fees. Berry and Aubry will split the cost of Nahla’s healthcare expenses, however.
The child support ruling was not the first time Berry and Aubry made headlines due to family court battles. Previously, Aubrey won a fight to block Berry from moving Nahla from Los Angeles to France to be with Berry’s then fiancé and actor Olivier Martinez. Berry and Martinez married July 13, 2013, and welcomed son Maceo last October. Aubry has no other children.
How Can We Help?
If you're a parent with questions about a child custody or child support related issue, please call our office at (626) 683-8113 or email us at info@PasadenaLawOffice.com. Our Pasadena family law attorneys can advocate for the interests of both you and your child within the state’s family court system.