Trouble seems to follow professional football player Terrell Owens. Just weeks after an alleged attempt to take his own life, Owens is now claiming he cannot afford to pay child support to his son’s mother. Owens is claiming that his current income is nothing, which is why he is asking a California judge for help.
Owens recently asked the court to lower his support payments, claiming the payment should be a reflection of his current income instead of being based on the income he was receiving four years ago while he was still in the National Football League. This is not the first time a judge has gotten involved in Owens’ child support payments. In August of this year, Owens was sued by the mother of his five-year-old daughter for missing a payment.
Should child support payments be based on the parent’s current income, no matter what they made in the past? Should the amount of child support a parent is responsible for paying fluctuate based on changes to the parent’s income? Owens would say yes. His child support payments are based on his 2007 income, when he was still making approximately $11 million per season with the Dallas Cowboys.
Whether you are a star athlete or an average citizen, child support can be a contentious issue between divorcing parents. Unfortunately, all too often the children are the ones caught in the middle. California residents seeking to resolve an issue related to child support could be more likely to benefit if they have an experienced lawyer in their corner. Courts can and will grant applications for child support modifications based upon a showing of a substantial change in circumstances.
Source: BET, “Terrell Owens: I Can’t Afford Child Support,” Smriti Mundhra, Nov. 1, 2011