The wealthy hip-hop artist, Flo Rida, said he wasn’t the child’s father. A DNA test, though, said otherwise. And suddenly he found himself obliged to pay child support.
The mother, however, wasn’t going to settle just for funds to cover formula and diapers. Since Flo Rida, whose real name is Tramar Lacel Dillard, has an estimated net worth of $30 million, the mother opted to sue for “good fortune” child support, a provision in Florida whereby children can benefit from the financial standing of rich parents.
What Is Good Fortune Child Support?
In cases when a parent is exceedingly wealthy, the Florida courts have the authority to compel child support payments that go beyond the norm. This may seem unfair to the paying parent. But studies found that typical child support guidelines “failed to reflect true child-related expenditures in upper income families,” and thereby put the custodial parent at a distinct economic disadvantage.
Of course, this arrangement created risks of its own. Paying parents claimed that their former spouses would not spend the extra money on their child’s upbringing, but would instead pocket it. To solve this dilemma, it was determined that the extra funds in good fortune arrangements would not go directly to the custodial spouse. Rather, a trust is created for the child, and money is placed there for considerations such as schooling, tutoring, sports lessons and related matters. This ensures that the child’s standard of living will remain the same as if his or her parents had remained together.
Moreover, although child support payments do not extend beyond the child’s eighteenth birthday, the benefits of good fortune child support hypothetically stretch well into adulthood; namely, if the trust’s funds have not been used, the child will typically still have access to what’s left.
Getting Her Due
Flo Rida ended up avoiding support payments, after all – technically. Rather than letting the courts decide what he owed the mother of what was evidently his child, a settlement was reached just before trial. Such agreements are made often, but tend to benefit the parents – Flo Rida pays a little less, the mother receives a great deal more – rather than ensuring the child’s interests are prioritized.