Steve Nash in Child Support Battle Against 'Millionaire' Ex-Wife

Lakers point guard Steve Nash is ready to defend himself in a child support battle with his ex-wife, as he told a judge Monday that she got rich enough when they divorced. The NBA veteran informed the court that his ex-wife Alejandra Amarilla doesn't need any more money for child support because she made millions in the divorce settlement, reports TMZ. The hearing Monday was an appeal to a prior ruling from an Arizona judge that Amarilla was not entitled to child support for their three children, and it appears the divorce battle is far from over.

Who Gets Child Support?

Under the law, only custodial parents are entitled to receive child support. Amarilla currently has at least joint custody of her and Nash's three children, so she is eligible to collect child support payments. But Nash has argued, and an Arizona judge agreed, that Amarilla has too much money in her own right to receive child support.

Equal Incomes

Under Arizona law, if the adjusted incomes of both parents are essentially equal, then no child support shall be paid. After the divorce, according to Nash, both parents are literally millionaires, and in Arizona, the judge was correct in ruling that neither parent need pay extra child support.

Nash Is Already Paying

Generally, child support covers a wide variety of things that both parents would have paid for if the couple was still together. These include:

• Necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter;
• Medical care, which typically requires health insurance (the parent with the better benefits generally is the one who pays);
• Education, including books, school lunches, and even school clothes; and
• Child care, including the cost of nannies, babysitters, and daycare.

Nash claims that he is already paying 90% of his children's medical, school, and out-of-school expenses, as well as 82% of their nanny's salary.

Nash Opposes Move To California

Amarilla still plans to move herself with their children to Los Angeles, but the current Lakers player is ironically opposing this move, despite the fact that he'd be closer to his kids. Speculation is that Steve Nash doesn't want his wife to take advantage of more stringent standards for child support in California, which may force him to pay. Related Resources:

• Steve Nash in child support battle with ex wife (UPI)
• Deion Sanders Gets Custody of Sons, Joint Custody of Daughter (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
• When Can You Modify Child Support? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)