Raising children today is expensive, just ask parents. They'll likely all sing the same tune: costs for everything from clothing to education seem to endlessly rise. How much money does it take to raise a child today? $500 a month? $1,000 a month? Definitely more, according to the Westchester, NY judge who handled Sean "P. Diddy" Combs' case. The judge determined $35,000 a month in child support is a reasonable sum for the star to pay the mother of his first child. Combs' attorney complained, stating the case is less about child support than "adult support."

When parents split, one of the most contentious elements of the divorce is bound to be the care of the children. Individual states outline specific rules which govern amounts for child support. The child support number crunching is typically based on factors like the net income of the parents, percentage of time the children spends with each parent, etc.

Yet, in the world of the rich and famous, requests for monthly child support often figure in the tens of thousands of dollars. But just how does one justify these "needs" in splits from wealthy spouses? Court records provide some interesting insight into the extravagant lifestyles of the children involved.

Take, for example, the case of Kirstie Alley and Parker Stevenson. Stevenson proclaimed he and Alley provided their children with "bountiful material possessions" throughout their marriage. Among the examples was a life size baby giraffe rocking horse costing $10,000 - only slightly more than your average toy. Along with the possessions came events of equal lavishness. Parker detailed Halloween parties complete with marching bands, cavalrymen and petting zoos that cost up to $25,000. During Christmas festivities, the couple would fly in "The Santa Claus to the Stars" and spend around $40,000, just on Christmas gifts. Considering this level of luxury, it isn't the least bit surprising that a parent might request numbers higher than those in the more typical cases.

While the Alley and Stevenson story may seem like the exception, countless court requests over the last decade their case is more the rule. In 1995, Jim Carey's ex-wife Melissa requested an increase in child support payments from the $10,000 a month Carey had been ordered to pay. The former Ms. Carey saw the sum as insufficient to cover new expenses as their daughter grew older. Justification for the higher monthly price tag came from the need for horseback riding lessons, personal trainers, headshots, and a projected $200,000 pilates and music practice studio.

To say the least, the above expenses might seem over-inflated to the average parent. However, these figures pale next to the requests of Lionel Ritchie's ex-wife. Richie's child-related expenses included annual boarding school fees of $125,000, a monthly clothing expenditure of $1,000 for each of her children, and the capper: at least $1,000 a month in gifts for other children's birthday parties. After all, why should the friends of such children are be left wanting after these couples split? While Ms. Ritchie's numbers are certainly impressive, her children's allowances are a mere pittance in comparison to those of Lisa Kerkorian, ex-wife of perennial Forbes lister Kirk Kerkorian. Lisa provided a Los Angeles judge with child rearing costs of an unprecedented $323,000 a month. She claimed $3,386 a month for "French/ballet/tennis/piano/riding" lessons, a cash-on-hand estimate of $5,000 a month and $1,000 a month for toys/videos/books.

While the numbers above may seem absurd, child support is heavily based on the financial resources of the parents. There is frequently a large gap in incomes of the two parents, as illustrated in the preceding cases. Courts typically consider the standard of living the child would have enjoyed if the marriage had continued. With that in mind, claims by ex spouses for continuing Junior's French lessons in Paris or throwing birthday parties with $10,000 price tags are a lot less crazy.

After all, it wouldn't be fair to deprive the child of a particular lifestyle just because mommy and daddy can't get along. Ultimately, most of us don't have to worry about shelling out $35,000 a month in child support. And if we are in the position to pay that kind of money, sympathy may be the one thing that can't be awarded.

LegalZoom is not a lawfirm and can only provide self-help services at your specific direction. Information contained above is subject to change and is not applicable to every state. Visit LegalZoom.com for specific state-by state-documents.

Return to Divorce

Partner Center