Think your custody battle is tough? Try being Halle Berry. The actress just settled her child support case with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry. The two will share custody of 6-year-old Nahla.
That's the good news. The bad news? The mother of two will reportedly have to pay Aubry nearly $16,000 a month for the privilege of shared custody.
According to the math, that's about $200,000 a year until Nahla is 19 (or until she graduates from high school -- whichever comes first).
OUCH!
We don't usually hear about moms being handed down huge child support judgments, but then Halle Berry is not your average mom. The actress makes big bucks in comparison to Aubry (not to mention average American moms AND dads).
And, well, the judgment seems about right. Sure, the average kid does not incur $16,000 a month in expenses, but child support isn't just based on average needs. There's also the lifestyle to which a child is accustomed that needs to be considered in any custody battle. That which existed before should continue to exist -- when possible.
Shouldn't it? Don't we want to disrupt our kids' lives as little as possible?
Parents' decision to split is just that -- the parents' decision. It shouldn't mean the child has to suffer any more than absolutely necessary (the split homes, for example, are usually unavoidable, and that's to be understood).
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The parent who was doing the bulk of supporting that lifestyle before the split may feel it's unfair to keep doing so after, especially if they're splitting time right down the middle. If Halle and Gabriel are truly doing a 50/50 split, the cost burden on Mom might sound unreasonable.
But again, it's not about the parent. It's about the kid. If Halle was footing the bills on this lavish lifestyle before she and Dad split, it behooves her to keep Nahla's life on an even keel.
And the same goes for any parent who has been putting out the bulk of the finances pre-split. You can get mad at your ex all you want for not chipping in, but you have to think of what it is your child needs most right now. Is it your ex stepping up or the continuation of the life they know?
What do you think of the judgment? Should shared custody mean shared financial burden?
Image via Celebrity Monitor, PacificCoastNews