A child support arrangement has recently been put into place regarding the 6-year-old child of actress Halle Berry and her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry.
Berry and Aubry had been in a dispute over the issue of child support. The two reached a settlement agreement which brought this dispute to an end and which established the above-mentioned arrangement. The agreement received approval from a judge late last month.
Here are some of the terms of the child support arrangement:
- Berry is to make monthly child support payments of $16,000 up until the child graduates high school or reaches age 19.
- Aubry will receive $115,000 from Berry as a retroactive child support payment.
- Medical expenses regarding the child will be split between Berry and Aubry.
- The child’s tuition is to be covered by Berry.
A common misconception is that the only thing child support arrangements involve is the setting of monthly payment obligations. However, this is only one of the important issues such arrangements can address. As the arrangement that Berry and Aubry have reached illustrates, such arrangements can touch on many additional aspects of the financial support of a child, such as who is responsible for covering things like a child’s medical and education costs. Thus, keeping all of the important issues that can arise in regards to the financial support of a child in mind can be important for divorcing or separated couples with children as they are trying to reach a child support agreement.
Another thing it can be important for divorcing or separated parents to do when in negotiations regarding child support is keep their focus on what matters most: the well-being of their children. It can be tempting to turn child support battles into a way to try to get back at one’s ex-spouse or ex-partner for past wrongs. However, this is not what child support is supposed to be about. What it is supposed to be about is ensuring that the child of a divorced or separated couple gets the financial support they need to be in a position to succeed in life.
Experienced family law attorneys can help divorced/separated parents work to reach child support arrangements that address all the important issues and are aimed at furthering their children’s best interests.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Halle Berry to pay ex a hefty sum in child support settlement,” Nardine Saad, June 9, 2014