Halle Berry, Gabriel Aubry reach child support accord

The notion that mothers never pay child support was debunked once again. Last week, Halle Berry and ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry reached an agreement regarding their long-standing dispute over child support. According to numerous media reports, Berry will pay Aubry $16,000 per month in child support to defray the costs he will incur in raising their 6-year-old daughter. Berry will also be responsible for tuition costs for the child and will pay for Aubry’s attorney’s fees, which are reportedly $300,000.

The party’s agreement does not affect legal or physical custody of the child.

Berry and Aubry have been locked in a tumultuous battle over custody and support of their daughter since 2012, when Berry attempted to move to France with the child to live with then boyfriend Olivier Martinez (whom she has since married). Aubry moved to block the move; arguing that his relationship with the child would be severely compromised. Their relationship (or lack thereof) was punctuated by a Thanksgiving Day brawl between Aubry and Martinez.

Nevertheless, the common notion that mothers do not pay child support was once again invalidated. Berry’s earning capacity and salary from acting and modeling likely played a part in the compromise. She is reportedly worth $70 million according to celebritynetworth.com, and recently starred in “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” Meanwhile, Aubry does not have nearly the same earning capacity or salary. With such an income disparity, it was very likely that the court would award child support given their custody arrangement.

Because child support is such an emotional issue, it is easy to become distracted by what others may have been awarded, even though their circumstances may have been different. If you have questions about support, an experienced attorney can help.

Source: USAToday.com “Halle Berry reaches settlement on child support,” AP News, June 9, 2014