When two Pennsylvania parents decide to divorce, they have to come to an agreement about who will get primary custody of their children or if they will share joint custody. One parent will be ordered by a judge to pay child support, even with shared custody. The child support amount is determined by several factors, but the most weight is carried by the income of each parent. Sherri Shepherd’s ex-husband, Lamar Sally, is seeking an increase in the amount of child support she pays him for their child.
Ms. Shepherd has no genetic relationship to the 2-year-old boy, as he was conceived by a donor egg and Mr. Sally’s sperm and was delivered by a surrogate. The boy was not born until after the two had divorced and Ms. Shepherd had no interest in raising him as her son. She says she only agreed to the procedure because she was afraid her husband would leave her if she did not. However, a court finally ruled just over a year ago that she remain the legal mother on the boy’s birth certificate and that she should pay Mr. Sally child support as he raises the boy on his own.
Mr. Sally has gone before the court again for a recalculation of support payments, as he has discovered his ex-wife has multiple sources of income and is now earning more than twice what she was at the time of the original support decision. He is employed by the Los Angeles Unified School District as a substitute teacher, making less than $200 per day. He says his son has specific organic dietary needs because of a genetic disorder. He also says the court costs over the past three years have depleted his savings, leading him to also request reimbursement for those fees from his ex-wife.
It is the responsibility of the two people who bring a child into this world to make sure the child’s needs are met. In most cases, the non-custodial parent is expected to pay child support to at least help meet the basic housing, medical and dietary needs of the child. Pennsylvania parents who are having difficulty with an ex providing his or her portion will want to talk to an attorney who will work to get the needed financial support.
Source: people.com, “Sherri Shepherd’s Ex-Husband Lamar Sally Is Requesting an Increase in Child Support for Their Toddler Son“, Natalie Stone, Dec. 13, 2016
