Minnesota fans of former football player and current “Fox NFL Sunday” co-host Michael Strahan may have heard that he is currently involved in a dispute with his ex-wife about back child support for their 14-year-old twin daughters. In their initial divorce settlement in 2006, his wife received $15.3 million, and he agreed to pay $18,000 per month in child support. In 2009, the amount was modified to $13,000.
His ex-wife now says that his monthly support payment should be increased to more than $18,000 monthly and that he can afford it based on his salary. Strahan’s reply said that their agreement did allow for adjustments based on cost of living, but he said they were not clear about how to determine when such an adjustment should be made.
His ex-wife is also asking for more than $547,000. She says that Strahan owes her over $321,000 in back child support. She also says that she has paid $450,802 for their daughter’s horseback riding lessons and that Strahan should pay her back for half of this amount. She says they had previously agreed that they would split the cost of these lessons, but Strahan says they never had this agreement.
When parents get a divorce, they may be able to reach an agreement about child custody and support through negotiation, or they might have to go to court. Later, as co-parenting issues arise, courts usually prefer that parents work them out themselves. However, they will need to return to court for any major changes in the custody and support agreement. For example, if a parent who is paying child support loses a job, that parent may need to ask for a modification in support. Another change might be one parent wanting to relocate. This may need court approval if it affects the custody and support agreement.