Texas residents who are currently embroiled in a custody or child support dispute related to surrogacy may find Sherri Shepherd’s case to be informative. Shepherd appealed a court ruling that made her legally responsible for a child she had with her ex-husband through a surrogate. The couple had split up after the child was conceived, but before birth. When her marriage failed, Shepherd reportedly attempted to void the contract to avoid paying child support, but the surrogate was already pregnant at that point.

After the child was born, Shepherd filed an appeal in order to have her name removed from the birth certificate, but the appeal was denied, and she was ordered to pay over $4,000 per month in child support. The amount would increase to more than $4,500 once the child reached the age of 13. It has been reported that Shepherd has filed an appeal against the ruling from the Pennsylvania court, and she is still trying to avoid paying child support for the 1-year-old child.

Understanding Child Support in Custody Cases

When one parent is granted primary custody of a child, the other parent is usually required to pay a certain amount of child support, even if they do not want to exercise their parental rights or seek visitation. Child support helps the custodial parent pay for expenses such as housing, transportation, school costs, and medical expenses. A family law attorney can guide the obligated parent in determining the appropriate amount of child support owed and may help modify the amount to prevent financial hardship and legal consequences if the parent cannot afford the child support payments.

Source: Radar Online, “Sherri Shepherd Takes Surrogacy Custody Battle To Superior Court“, Jan. 14, 2016

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