Last month, former basketball star Allen Iverson and his estranged wife of 11 years, Tawanna, informed an Atlanta family law court that they had settled their differences and agreed to a financial settlement just days before their divorce trial was scheduled to begin.
The financial settlement came as something of a surprise to most legal observers given the apparent animosity between the couple and the intensity of the legal battle that they had been waging over the last year. Specifically, the couple had battled over everything from allegations of infidelity to hidden assets.
As part of the financial settlement, Iverson agreed to pay Tawanna a $3 million lump sum and child support for the couple’s five children. Furthermore, she was granted a set percentage of Iverson’s future endorsement deals with industry giant Reebok and other assets acquired during the course of the marriage.
As for Iverson, he was given the given the family home in Georgia, his Maybach (an ultra-luxury car) and personal belongings.
In recent developments, the family court judge presiding over the couple’s case recently issued the final divorce decree, which outlines the child custody arrangements.
Here, the judge didn’t mince words, referring to Iverson as an unfit parent with an apparent substance abuse problem and awarding custody of all five kids to Tawanna.
“[Iverson] does not know how to manage the children; has little interest in learning to manage the children and has actually, at times, been a hindrance to their spiritual and emotional growth and development,” read the decree. “For example, he has refused to attend to an obvious and serious alcohol problem, which has caused him to do inappropriate things in the presence of the children while impaired.”
Iverson, 37, was ordered to attend Alcohol Anonymous meetings for a year and to see a psychiatrist. Furthermore, the judge granted him visitation rights contingent upon him satisfying certain conditions, including not consuming alcohol 24 hours prior to any visit with the kids.
For those unfamiliar with Iverson, he was an 11-time NBA All-Star who played for the Philadelphia 76ers for the majority of his 14-year career. Interestingly, there were rumors just last week that Iverson was considering an offer to sign with the developmental team of the Dallas Mavericks to mount a career comeback. However, he later declined the offer.
Stay tuned for more from our Ft. Worth family law blog …
To learn more about child custody, visitation or parental rights, contact an experienced and skilled legal professional.
This post is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.
Sources:
The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Report: Judges says Allen Iverson an unfit parent,” Feb. 4, 2013
TMZ, “Allen Iverson coughs up $3 million in nasty divorce battle,” Jan. 20, 2013
