In many divorce cases, one parent becomes the custodial parent and the other parent supports the children financially. However, if the custodial parent relinquishes his or her parental rights, child support payments may no longer be required. It is up to judges in New Jersey to determine the best arrangements for the children of divorced parents.
Following their divorce, actor Charlie Sheen and his ex-wife Brooke Mueller have faced several challenges. They are the parents are 4-year-old twin boys, who lived with their mother after the divorce. Fortunately, Sheen's high salary enabled him to make generous child support payments. He reportedly covered the costs of Mueller's home, which added up to $30,000 each month. However, Mueller recently fell into a pattern of drug abuse and became unable to care for the twin boys.
Thankfully, another one of Sheen’s ex-wives, Denise Richards, took the twin boys into her home. Now that they aren’t in Mueller’s care, Sheen is seeking a child support modification. He reasons that because Mueller is no longer the boys’ custodial parent, she has no need for financial support to help her take care of them. It is unknown whether Sheen is providing additional financial support to Richards while the twins are in her care. Mueller’s opinion on the matter is unknown; however, because she earns no income herself, she may be likely to reject Sheen’s proposal for lower child support payments.
Even when one parent or both parents earn a substantial income, it can be difficult for divorced or separated couples to sort out child support issues. Thankfully, attorneys can help people resolve these types of disputes.
Source: New York Daily News, “Charlie Sheen makes legal move to stop paying ex Brooke Mueller $55K a month in child support,” Nancy Dillon, July 9, 2013
