North Carolina fans of baseball player Miguel Cabrera may not know that he has been paying child support to a woman in Florida since 2013. Cabrera, who has been married since 2002, has kept the relationship private, but the woman has filed a lawsuit against him alleging that he has reduced the amount of child support he owes to $6,400 per month after helping her buy a home. The woman says the amount is not enough to meet her expenses.
Allegedly, Cabrera has two children by the woman, one born in 2013 and one in 2015. Florida statutes say that parents with two dependents who make more than $10,000 per year must pay 7.5 percent of their income in child support. Since Cabrera makes around $30 million per year, his child support payments should be more than $2.0 million. However, his attorneys say he should pay less or that the excess amount should be placed in a fund for the children’s education.
Cabrera has asked for paternity tests to determine whether the children are his. He has also accused the woman of extortion.
Usually, the noncustodial parent pays support to the parent who has been awarded child custody. In North Carolina, child support formulas take other factors into account besides income including how many children there are and the cost of child care. However, as is the case in every state, the court expects parents to support their children and makes decisions based on the best interests of the child. A judge will be unconcerned about any inconvenience child support payments may create for a parent although if the parent’s income drops, the parent might be able to get a child support modification approved.
Source: Deadspin, “Orlando Woman Sues Miguel Cabrera Over Reduced Child Support Payments“, Patrick Redford, Oct. 16, 2017