*Rappers reportedly paying child support (Monthly)
For rappers with pockets full of paper, child support guidelines are different from those of the average Joe. VIBE asked a lawyer to explain how the dollars and diapers get divvied up
Cathy Middleton-Lewis, Attorney-at-Law, Author of Girl, Get That Child Support and Boy, Drop That Child Support: “In most states, when you’re dealing with fathers who are wealthy, child support will shift from a statutory guideline—which is a formula that the states will use based upon what they think a man should be able to pay based upon his income—to a needs-based formula. For example, in New York State, the standard formula requires the father to pay 17% of his adjusted gross income for one child. [With wealthy cases], the needs are based upon what they think that particular child—the child of a celebrity who is that wealthy—should be able to enjoy. There are some aspects to that that are unfair. It’s subjective. If you look at the fact that [Kelis] has high earning potential and that the responsibility to support a child rests on both parents, it didn’t seem like there was fairness utilized there. It depends on what judge you’re in front of.
50 Cent helped the mother of his child in ways that allowed her to receive a benefit financially. When she had his son, he moved them into a house in Dix Hills, Long Island, and kept the deed in his name. So the child is enjoying a lifestyle in an exclusive environment but the house belongs to the father. That’s one of the best things a father could do to keep some kind of financial control while at the same time benefiting the child. It helps to put limitations on how much the mother can get away with ultimately.” —Georgette Cline
This story appears in the June/July issue of VIBE currently on stands.
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