Raising children is a wonderful, but often difficult job. A whole new dynamic comes into play when the two parents involved are not in a relationship. Though many of them are able to make it work, there are other Texas parents who struggle to determine visitation, custody, financial support and other factors. This appears to be the situation for one Major League Baseball player, Miguel Cabrera, who is challenging the recent order for child support for two of his children with his former girlfriend.
The court decided that Cabrera must pay $20,000 a month in child support to his ex-girlfriend for their two children, who are aged 3 and 6. Cabrera believes that $13,000 a month is a more reasonable amount. The judge in his case also ruled that he should pay for his ex’s home, worth $1 million, life insurance policies for the kids and almost $90,000 in unpaid child support. Representatives for Cabrera claim that the ex-girlfriend is only suing him because he will not leave his wife, with whom he has three other children.
Those who represent the ex-girlfriend argue that her children with Cabrera should have the same standard of living as the children from his marriage. Cabrera claims that this order favors the children’s mother more than the children. He is currently making $30 million a year as a player for the Detroit Tigers.
No matter the outcome of this particular case, there are valuable lessons for Texas parents who find themselves in a similar situation. Putting children first is the only way to resolve these kinds of issues. Parents who have questions regarding an existing or potential child support order can turn to an experienced family law attorney. An attorney can guide a parent through all of the available options to determine a fair outcome that protects the interests of the client.