Any California parent who is currently facing financial challenges regarding a former spouse may relate to Jesse Williams’ situation. “Grey’s Anatomy” fans know Williams as Jackson Avery, M.D., the fictional character he plays on the prime time TV drama. Some of his fans may not know, however, that in real life, Williams is engaged in a contentious child support dispute with his ex-wife.
The couple have two children together and Williams pays both child support and spousal support each month. A judge recently ruled that Williams’ child support payments will increase to more than $50,000 per month. He is not happy about that at all, not because he is opposed to financially providing for his children. Rather, he believes his wife has misrepresented his children’s needs to the court.
In similar situations, judges often analyze children’s lifestyles during their parents’ marriages to determine what a fair child support amount might be. It’s not the only factor of consideration but definitely one that can influence the court’s decision. In Williams’ case, he says he and wife always agreed to live simply with their kids; he says they ate home-cooked meals instead of dining out, bought furniture at Ikea and enjoyed inexpensive family outings with their kids.
The actor also accused his ex of adding her personal expenses into the amount she quoted to the court as a necessity to provide for her kids. Williams currently pays $50,000 every month in spousal support. He took steps to appeal the court’s recent child support decision. This type of situation is something an experienced California family law attorney would be fully equipped to handle.