While Connecticut viewers may be gearing up to see Halle Berry in a new television series, she will be gearing up to open her checkbook. After years of battling over custody of her child, a judge has ordered the Oscar-winning actress to pay her ex-boyfriend a sizable amount of child support each month and a retroactive payment.
The actress and her model ex-boyfriend initiated a custody dispute over their daughter in 2012. At the time, a judge chose to prevent Berry from relocating with the child to France. The current agreement only concerns child support, however, and not any custody matters. Berry also has an infant child with her current husband.
The case was heard by a Los Angeles judge. Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon ordered Berry to pay child support to the father in the amount of $16,000 each month, roughly $200,000 per year. The judge also made the order retroactive, requiring Berry to pay her ex-boyfriend $115,000.
Additionally, the famous actress was ordered to pay for her daughter’s tuition. The two parents will split the cost of any of her health care expenses as well. The settlement agreement reached by the former couple also included a provision requiring Berry to pay her ex $300,000 in attorney fees incurred during their custody dispute.
Parents who are not receiving financial assistance from noncustodial parents may choose to pursue child support to help with the costs of raising their child. Additionally, custodial parents may return to court if they wish to modify a child support order or circumstances have otherwise changed to justify an increase in child support payments.
Source: CT Post, “Halle Berry reaches settlement on child support”, June 09, 2014