As many Connecticut parents who have primary custody of their children know, child support is a much-needed addition to each month’s paycheck. For many families, child support helps pay for necessities like education, clothes and even food. Going without it would be nearly impossible for some. Child support, however, should always be determined in a fair manner. As the ongoing child support case of rapper Flo Rida shows, paternity should be clear before determining child support.
The rapper has been embroiled in a heated child support and paternity battle for two years with a woman who said he fathered her child. Although a paternity test that the rapper took in 2011 came back negative, it remains unclear whether he is actually the father.
Although entertainment news site TMZ has reported that documents that prove Flo Rida is the child’s father do exist, none of them have been made public. Despite this, the rapper was ordered to pay child support by the Florida Department of Revenue. Because he has not contested it, he is obligated to pay. While the attorney of the child’s mother says the easiest way to solve the dispute would be to get a court-ordered paternity test, that has not happened.
As this case so clearly shows, it’s important to have the basics nailed down when determining child support. Not knowing who the child’s biological parents are can make it very difficult to determine who is responsible for child support. No matter which side of this situation you fall on, it is important to work with an attorney who can help ensure that a decision is made fairly and accurately so the child’s best interests can be served.
Source: Miami New Times, “Flo Rida Baby Mama Drama, Ordered to Pay Child Support by Department of Revenue,” Victor Gonzalez, June 24, 2013
