As California movie fans, who follow celebrity divorce may know, Katie Holmes is seeking higher child support from her ex-spouse, Tom Cruise. The celebrities, who share a daughter, have moved on with their careers and their personal lives.
According to sources, Holmes is about to ask the court for an increase in child support payments. Cruise currently pays $400,000 per year to help raise his daughter. Holmes claims that as their daughter grows she will need more money to care for her properly. She also maintains that her ex-husband has not visited his daughter for two years.
Cruise lives in London most of the year while Holmes and his daughter live in New York and Los Angeles. Cruise said that work keeps him busy and unable to see his daughter. Holmes reportedly takes on as many projects as possible, but her income does not match the opulent lifestyle she experienced when she was married to Cruise.
Child support modification is a remedy when support payments are insufficient. Sometimes, a parent will find that additional funds are needed as a child grows. Many times, the ability of a parent to pay more in child support changes when the parent’s income increases. In such cases, the custodial parent may petition the court to increase the child support payments to reflect the change in income. The court may ask the supporting parent to provide proof of income to validate the claim.
In some cases a modification is necessary when the parent who has previously been ordered to make payments becomes unable to do so as a result of an unforeseen financial hardship. In such an event, it is important for the parent seeking such a modification to understand that even if granted, it will be prospective only and will not affect any amounts that are in arrears.