After reading that Kevin Federline receives $20,000 a month in child support but allegedly wants that doubled, an interesting thought entered my mind: should celebrities who have child support ordered have their limits capped? And, if not, how much do children actually need to survive in today’s world filled with tech toys and higher medical costs? Or, do they pay little in comparison to regular people?
Our Salt Lake City child support attorney, who handles numerous cases around the county, has seen some pretty high support orders during her tenure. Let’s look at state and nationwide income, average child support orders, and discuss whether support should indeed get capped after an ‘x’ amount.
Utah and U.S. income compared to celebs
Median household incomes for those hard-working men and women of Utah average $65,977 – roughly $8,300 higher than the U.S. average in 2017. These figures aggregate degreed professionals, farmers, unsalaried employees and the independent contractor. Seems pretty high, right?
Hollywood animal actors (think Spuds Mackenzie) make roughly $5,000 – $10,000 a year. Cristiano Ronaldo, the highest-paid sports figure in the free world, earns roughly $93 million annually. This gives you an idea of what income celebrity positions are capable of producing for their children should child support get ordered. In Utah, hiring an esteemed Salt Lake City child support attorney can help with income evaluations and be enforcing proper support amounts.
In the case of Kevin Federline, his ex-spouse Britney Spears has an estimated net worth of $34 million, according to Forbes, with an incredible $46 million valuation of her estate. She’s currently paying her father, Jamie, $16,000 monthly just to babysit her fortune.
Broken down monthly, Britney earns $2.83 million. Factoring in taxes, that drops to around $1.5 million. This means her paltry $20,000 per month support payment would be less than 1% of her pre-tax income, and 1.2% of her net. In many U.S. states, 25% or more of one parent’s pre-tax income can be imputed for support, so Britney and others in her position should be thankful.
So, should celeb child support be capped?
Children deserve the same standard of living as their parents without regard to how high that ceiling goes. No questions were asked. Obviously, six-year-old children won’t drive Porsches or need Louis Vuitton bags, but the best food money can buy, and excellent clothing are mandatory. As children age, their standard of living should also increase. When they hit the legal driving age, giving them an excellent new vehicle shouldn’t be problematic.
Co-parenting shouldn’t change the child’s need for an equalized standard of living. If Federline shells out $30,000 monthly to provide child care, medicine, food, clothing, and other needs, Spears shouldn’t fret over paying the same given her income dwarfs her ex-husband.
Celebrity child support battles are both heartbreaking and angering to read about. Adults that spend millions in casinos, buy a multimillion-dollar mansion and drive Bentleys shouldn’t argue with their exes who often live at much lower standards. Support children as they would if they lived at home.
If you’re a celebrity or regular 9-5 worker and have child support issues, contact our Salt Lake City child support attorney today.