NBA retiree will be paying less child support now

After a 14-plus-year career in the NBA, Matt Barnes retired in 2017. He also got divorced from the mother of his two sons. He recently welcomed another son into the world in his current relationship with model Anansa Sims. As many California parents can relate, Barnes told the court that he could no longer afford to pay child support according to the existing terms of his agreement.  

The court often considers retirement, income changes, new births and other life-changing events as legitimate reasons to request modification of an existing child support plan. In Barnes's case, he had been paying $20,000 per month for the two sons he shares with his ex. As it turns out, the judge overseeing his case agreed to lower the payments to $7,500 per month, which some say has angered the boys' mother.  

In all situations related to custody, visitation or support, the court always has children's best interests in mind. In fact, the court typically believes that children fare best when parents are willing to cooperate and compromise for their sake regarding where they will live, who will make decisions regarding health, education and other important matters, and all issues concerning the financial well-being of the children. When parents are at odds over a particular issue, litigation may be necessary to rectify the problem. 

The Barnes versus Govan situation is reportedly not over yet. The new child support payments are said to be temporary, and the two parents still have a lot of unfinished business to resolve in court. Any California parent currently facing similar problems after divorce may want to discuss his or her situation with an experienced family law attorney to determine a best course of action.