Terrell Owens sued in Fulton County for child support

On behalf of Edwards & Associates posted in Child Support on Thursday, July 7, 2011

In May, we discussed how the ongoing National Football League lockout could affect athletes' child support and alimony obligations. During the lockout, most players will not be earning the same amount of income they were making at the time their support obligations were calculated. This could harm their ability to pay.

Now, we are receiving reports of just such a situation in Fulton County. Melanie Paige Smith, an ex of NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens, submitted court papers on June 20 against Owens, claiming he will not pay all the $5,000 he owes her for monthly child support.

Allegedly, financial advisers for Owens have told Smith earlier that he no longer intends on paying the full sum. Smith's attorney alleged that Owens has "failed and refused to pay the full amount of child support in June 2011." Smith's attorney has also said that Smith doesn't begrudge Owens, but would like to continue receiving the amount the couple had earlier agreed upon.

In addition to the full amount of child support, Smith is also requesting that Owens pay her attorney fees and other expenses incurred in the efforts to enforce the court's May 2007 child support order.

Meanwhile, Owens is on the mend after undergoing knee surgery. However, he is a free agent and won't be able to join a new team as long as the NFL lockout is still in effect.

The NFL lockout has put many players like Terrell Owens in a precarious situation. If they simply stop paying court ordered child support, they can be held in contempt of court, which can have serious consequences. However, there are other options available for people who have suffered an involuntary loss of income. A parent who has experienced an involuntary loss of income can request a downward modification of child support payments from a court.

If you have questions about how your child support payments are affected by the loss of a job or a loss of income, an experienced family law attorney can help you understand your legal options and defend your rights in a court of law.

Source: Associated Press, "Woman says Owens fails to pay some child support," Jeff Martin, 6/29/2011

Allen Iverson's wife rebounds divorce petition

On behalf of Edwards & Associates posted in Divorce on Thursday, June 23, 2011

When a professional athlete divorces, the divorce can be very complicated and there can be a great deal of money and assets at stake.

For the second time in 16 months, the wife of Allen Iverson has filed for divorce in Fulton County Superior Court. The ex-NBA player, who recently had a run-in with law enforcement officials in Atlanta, left his high-profile NBA position in March near the time of the first divorce petition.

Court papers declare that Tawanna Iverson first approached the courts about dissolving her marriage in March 2010, not long after her husband decided to exit the Philadelphia 76ers for the rest of the season. At the time, Allen Iverson said he had to quit the team in order to care for one his five children, who was ill.

Shortly after Allen Iverson left the 76ers, and around the same time that he had been served the first divorce papers, he was stopped by Atlanta police for a failure to signal traffic violation. Police ran a check on the 2007 Lamborghini and found that Iverson, who owned the car for two years, was still driving with the original dealer tags. Reports say Iverson became agitated and used expletives in his conversation with police.

According to Allen Iverson's lawyer, the first divorce filing, which had cited that the marriage was "irretrievably broken," had been dropped. The attorney chose not to reveal why the petition was withdrawn. Both Iverson's attorney and his wife's lawyer were close-mouthed about the reasons given by Tawanna Iverson for the second petition filing.

The former NBA star has transitioned to playing pro basketball in Turkey in the last few months, although he has let the media know that he is interested in returning to the NBA. It's uncertain whether that desire remains, in light of the new divorce petition.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Allen Iverson's wife re-files for divorce," Alexis Stevens, 6/15/2011

Support modifications for pro athletes pending

On behalf of Edwards & Associates posted in Alimony on Tuesday, May 17, 2011

National Football League players were locked out in March. National Basketball League players are expected to join them in June. Players for both groups are at the mercy of ongoing contract negotiations between team owners and players' unions. Right now, neither side is budging and sports agents are becoming edgy.

It's estimated that up to 80 percent of all pro-athletes are paying alimony, child support or both. Many players' financial advisors are reminding their clients that no pay equals no way to pay those bills and are recommending that players ask for support modifications.

Despite high salaries, many players are unprepared if the checks suddenly stop coming. Those who do pay support often have thousands to tens of thousands of dollars deducted each month.

Should an NFL player suddenly stop making an average yearly salary of $1.8 million, financial times could quickly become tough for all those dependent on that money.

When the ball teams don't pay the bills, players must pay and that includes health insurance. The NFL trade association says that could run about $2,000 each month for many. When those costs are multiplied by court-ordered health care costs for children or exes and the costs can run double, triple or more.

When a spouse or parent has a child support or alimony obligation, that obligation was initially calculated by looking at his income. When a parent or ex-spouse suffers an involuntary loss of income, those support obligations can quickly become too much to afford. Simply failing to pay child support or alimony can result in a contempt hearing and the possibility of jail time.

When a person suffers an involuntary loss of income, experienced family law attorneys understand the importance of requesting a downward modification from a family law judge. A successful request for a modification can reduce child support and alimony payments and eliminate the possibility of a contempt hearing.

Source: Bloomberg, "NFL Players Poised to Cut Alimony, Making Wives Industry Dispute Victim," Scott Soshnick, 5/9/20114