Joe Smith Back in Court Over Child Support

Professional basketball player Joe Smith received bad news this week when the Nevada Supreme Court reversed a ruling regarding his child support payments.

The panel of judges stated that the lower court judge, Clark County District Judge Lisa M. Kent had used a "faulty approach" when lowering Smith's payments from $10,339 per month to $968 a month. She did so by failing to examine the changed circumstances and whether they were in the best interests of the child in question.

Back in 1996 Smith had a son with Brenda L. Thompson. According to court documents Smith has earned $413,145 per month playing for the New Jersey Nets and has a net worth of $7.5 million as of 2008. Since the lower court did not show substantial evidence for necessitating the reduction in payments the decision was overturned.

In their brief the court went on to say that "this requirement exists to prevent parties from filing immediate, repetitive, serious motions until the right circumstances or the right judge allows them to achieve a different result."

Contact the Law Office of Michael Young to get help from a Riverside family law attorney who handles child support matters.