The recent headlines are rampant with outrageous child support awards. Take for example Blake Griffin, the star forward on the Detroit Pistons who was reportedly ordered by a Los Angeles Court to pay child support in the sum of $258,000.00 per month for the support to two minor children he had with his ex-fiancé, former USC basketball star Brynn Cameron. Which begs the question, considering Blake Griffin earns over $32 Million dollars per year, “How much is too much child support” in Michigan?
The answer can be found in Section 3.02(E) of the 2017 Michigan Child Support Formula Manual. The 2017 manual is the most current (as of August 2018) manual, which revamped the 2013 Michigan Child Support Formula Manual.
Section 3.02(E) provides that the “court should exercise discretion” in delating with extremely high family incomes. Section 3.02(E)(1), provides that in trying to arrive at an appropriate result in extremely high income cases, the court should: “. . . meet each child needs . . . or fashion another outcome that financially benefits the children. . .”
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Child support is “money a parent pays to help meet his/her child’s needs when the parent is not living with the child.”
It would be an unbelievable stretch of the imagination to believe that any child needs $129,000.00 per month to support his or her needs (Blake Griffin support was for two children). In fact, it would be hard to imagine any healthy child needing in excess of $10,000.00 per month to support his or her needs.
While there is no hard line answer to the question: “How much is too much child support” in Michigan, in dealing with extremely high income cases, Michigan requires discretion by the court in lieu of a strict application of a formula.
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I have been exclusively practicing divorce and family law in Michigan for over two decades. The attorneys at Findling Law all share the core value of practicing law to help people navigate change in their lives, without compromising principles. We are compassionate, creative and always prepared. We specialize in high socio-economic, high-profile and high-conflict cases, while also working with clients of all backgrounds. We recognize that the most important aspect of the practice of law is the application of the law to your specific circumstances.That is why we provide more free information on divorce and family law than any other Michigan law firm. We want to help you manage your situation. Allow our exceptional legal team to help you navigate the change in your life, without compromising principles.
By: Daniel Findling
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