Note: Nas had pleaded not guilty to owing back child support, he's innocent of these charges. We haven't heard both sides of the story nor evidence to make a determination of anyone's guilt.

I understand your point. It's difficult sometimes to explain to clients what appears to be cold tuff realties as it pertains to their circumstances and the law. Reality, the court doesn't care about the choices you made, how you've managed your money, your career choices, who you've married, divorced... that's your concern. The ruling is based on what Nas makes now. What happens to Nas or his ex-wife earning power over the course of their careers isn't relevant, that's for them to manage not a judge. If they don't provide for themselves nor the child for a rain day or "shit happens", that's on them. If Nas financial earnings change - they've decrease - he can request his child support payments be reduced. Once again, the court will ask to see financial earnings and make a judgement accordingly. The judge isn't assuming, that's why financial records are requested and must be presented so a judgement can be made accordingly.


Besides their jobs aren't anymore precarious than anyone else, stuff happens: illness, a recession, corporate downsizing, bankruptcy..... I wasn't blaming them for getting married or having a baby. I have know doubt like all people, they thought their union was life long but for whatever reason(s) things didn't workout. The problem can be is a lot of people don't ever consider the "what ifs" or understand long term obligations/responsibilities.

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Actually the ruling isn't based on his current income, its more his worth now, which is why i am saying that take what you can now, because this cat aint gonna have 50,000 to give a month and it will cost more to take him to court and to pay for his jail time, then just making a wiser ruling.

I think that's what I've said about ten times, it's still based his earnings now. Again, that calculation didn't come out of thin air. You've voiced an opinion about what he can't pay, what he may or may not earn, what's unfair, etc, etc, and so-forth. Why is this so hard to understand?

If Nas financial situation has changed it was his responsibility to file papers in court requesting a hearing that his child support payments be lowered. Believe me if he had done this from jump, the judge wouldn't have slapped a contempt of charge on him.

Sate laws vary greatly on when it's appropriate to ask the court to lower your child support. In general, you may be entitled to lower your child support when:

* Your income has decreased significantly

* The custodial parent's income has increased significantly

* You expenses have increased for reasons out of your control( chronic illness, forced transfer to an area with a higher cost of living and so forth)

* The cost of supporting your child have increased significantly.
(that's rare)

200,000 already? the lil' bastard was just born not too long ago, right?

why does he have to be called a bastard? his parents were married.

The child has nothing to do with this bullshit.

I know nothing about the marital status of the kid's parents. That's just what I call kids

^
Child support payments are based on the parent(s)' income, and it includes medical care, daycare, clothes, food and so forth. And to think I thought Nas had deep pockets. Oh well, there's always the alternative: incarceration & public humiliation.

That's exactly how it works. The Court doesn't pull these numbers /figures out of a hat. Regardless of how much latitude judges are given, the guidelines (child support formula) in effect in most states specify factors that must be considered in determining who pays how much child support. These factors usually include:

* the needs of the child -- including health insurance, education, day care, and special needs
* the income and needs of the custodial parent
* the paying parent's ability to pay, and
* the child's standard of living before divorce or separation.

Courts often require each divorcing spouse to fill out a financial statement to provide a complete picture of the parents' financial situations before making a decision on child support. In the financial statement, the spouse must detail his or her monthly income and expenses.

When a court sets child support, it often considers the family's pre-divorce standard of living and attempts to continue this standard for the children, if feasible. However, courts are aware of the difficulty of maintaining two households on the income that formerly supported one home. Maintenance of the same standard of living is therefore more of a goal than a guarantee.

This is key. This is were the rub comes in because some men think, they should be able to dictate what "they think" it cost to maintain their child/children. Or think once they've divorced or whatever the standard of living for the child should decrease because... this one of the consequence of the relationship ending. It doesn't work that way. You don't continue to live on the Gold Coast while your kid lives in subsidize housing. Nice way of saying the projects.

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Nicely put! It's like food for the soul when people are willing to swim against the prevailing tide of bitter chauvinism in discussions like this.

Sarcasm? I think this is called adulthood, grow up.

No sarcasm involved. I think maintaining the standard of living is absolutely right, and clearly has a perfectly rational legal basis, like your post showed. The notion that the father should be able to swan around in the fleet of sports cars he doubtless possesses, while tossing aside enough change to keep his kid in diapers (which seems to be the prevailing view here), would be a pathetic resolution of this situation, to my mind. And all the usual sexist throwaway comments I read justifying him withholding it don't do much to sway me on that.

Seemed like you were saying much the same, but I might have misunderstood. If so, no worries.

February 20, 2010


Nas faces a criminal contempt charge for unpaid child and spousal support in his divorce from fellow singer Kelis.

The rapper pleaded not guilty through his attorney and was ordered back for a March hearing in Los Angeles. Kelis's attorney says Nas is $200,000 behind on child and spousal support. He was ordered to pay more than $51,000 per month to his former wife and infant son in December.

Judge David S. Cunningham III, who is overseeing the divorce proceedings, said Friday it's starting to look like the rapper is trying to evade court orders.

One of Nas's attorneys, Anthony Ukran, told Cunningham the rapper needs more time to prepare his defence and show he's unable to pay the court-ordered support amounts. Nas could face time behind bars if he fails to make payments.


Kelis filed for divorce in May.


http://www.google.com/hos...XYoXc2rLWg

Nas Gets Contempt Charge Dismissed After Paying Child Support

April 15, 2010


http://www.mtv.com/news/a.../nas.jhtml