Child support payments sought decades after child is grown

Child support issues can be extremely contentious for some families. While the family courts in Pennsylvania hand down child support orders that are as fair as possible, some families find legal action is needed to garner owed support or to modify an order to reflect changing needs over time. In one recent case, a famed Harlem Globetrotter basketball player is being sued by his ex-wife and son for missed child support totalling $250,000.

What makes this case noteworthy and unique is the fact the couple divorced in 1977. The hoopster, Meadowlark Lemon, is now 83 years old, and his son is 48. The basketball player and his wife were married for 22 years before their split.

The son and his mother contend Meadowlark Lemon was ordered to pay $2500 a month at the time of the divorce, but he only did so for about a year. Lemon then apparently stopped payments altogether. The ex-wife says this caused crippling debt and played a role in her son’s school and legal troubles. Lemon says he doesn’t understand what they want from him all these years later.

Child support can, for some parents, be the only way to provide the basic necessities needed for child-rearing. When child support in Pennsylvania is ordered, non-compliance can come with serious consequences for parents. Any parent who has trouble meeting a child support obligation may want to inquire as to whether or not the reasons for the inability to pay warrant a modification to the agreement. A modification can help a struggling parent meet payments and avoid the negative legal consequences of missed payments.

Source: New York Daily News, “Harlem Globetrotters’ star Meadowlark Lemon sued for $250,000 in child support“, Doyle Murphy, May 17, 2015