R. Kelly returns to court in child support case

by | Mar 21, 2019 | Child Support |

As singer R. Kelly faces a firestorm of sexual abuse allegations after a documentary on his life and relationships, he will continue to face an order to pay $21,000 monthly in child support obligations. His lawyer told newspapers in California and across the country that the payments were kept at their current rate after a closed hearing on the case. The hearing came a week after the singer was put in jail for missing a deadline to pay over $161,000 in overdue child support payments to his ex-wife Andrea Kelly. She is the mother of his three children.

Despite Kelly’s numerous highly charted songs, he claimed that he had only $350,000 in the bank. As a result, he said he was unable to pay his child support obligations. He was arrested for owing $161,000 in back child support, a felony in Illinois. He was released after three days in jail after he paid the full amount due. He claimed that he was able to pay the $161,000 in a matter of days due to support from family and friends.

On another occasion, his publicist claimed that the large sum was a donation from a fan, a claim also made about the $100,000 bail payment Kelly made one month before to be released from jail on sexual abuse charges. However, the person who paid that bail amount later told the media that she would not confirm if the money she used to pay the bail was hers or the singer’s.

While the singer’s financial situation is questionable, many parents face real obstacles in paying their monthly child support obligations, especially after a job loss, disability or other serious issue. A family law attorney may help a parent to go back to court to seek a child support modification and avoid major penalties.

Source: USA Today, “R. Kelly back in court over child support; still has to pay $21,000 per month, judge says“, Jayme Deerwester, 03/13/2019