New York parents who follow celebrity news may be aware that Mathew Knowles was ordered to pay about $71,000 in back child support by a family court judge. Knowles, who is the father of singer Beyoncé, had reportedly avoided paying child support to the mother of his 5-year-old child since her birth.
After the child was conceived in 2009, Knowles allegedly paid the mother $225,000, in part to have an abortion. Knowles claimed that he was unaware that the mother had gone through with the pregnancy until the child was born. After the birth, he attempted to avoid his financial obligations to the child due to the money that he previously paid to her. However, the judge interpreted this payment as essentially hush money.
In his ruling, the judge noted that Knowles did not have any interest in being involved in the child’s life. Additionally, the court had considerable doubts about the credibility of Knowles’ testimony based on observations made throughout the trial. As a result, Knowles was ordered to pay about $1,500 in child support every month and will have his wages garnished until he has repaid the $71,000 that he owes in back child support. He was also required to pay $50,000 of the mother’s attorney and court fees.
Under the Child Support Standards Act, New York courts use a formula to determine how much child support a parent should be responsible for. This formula takes parental income and the number of children into consideration. If the parent refuses to pay the ordered amount, a family law attorney may help the other parent find a solution through the court system and other resources. In some cases, the court can have the parent’s wages garnished until the amount is fully repaid.
Source: Madame Noire, “MATHEW KNOWLES ORDERED TO PAY $71K IN BACK CHILD SUPPORT“, Jazmine Rogers, Jan. 6, 2016