Back in February, our blog discussed the final divorce decree between basketball star Allen Iverson and his estranged wife of 11 years, including the rather significant financial terms reached and the rather definitive child custody arrangements.
To recap, Iverson agreed to pay his ex-wife Tawanna a $3 million lump sum, as well as $8,000 a month in child support for the couple’s five children. Furthermore, she was granted a set percentage of Iverson’s future endorsement deals with Reebok and other assets acquired during the course of the marriage.
As for Iverson, he was given the given the family home in Georgia (which was ultimately lost to foreclosure), his ultra- expensive luxury car and personal belongings.
When it came to the matter of child custody, however, the presiding judge was not entirely kind to the 11-time NBA All-Star.
“[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 also 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.
While it appeared as if Iverson’s family law issues were finally behind him, recent reports indicate that he may soon be called before a judge for failing to make the aforementioned child support payments.
According to reports, Tawanna recently filed documents claiming that Iverson has failed to pay any money toward his child support obligations for five months, meaning he owes a total of $40,000. Even more significant, the documents also request that court put Iverson behind bars for his child support arrears.
Iverson played for the Philadelphia 76ers for the majority of his storied 14-year career. Interestingly, he was offered a potential contract by the Dallas Mavericks in 2012 if he was willing to spend a few months in the developmental league. Iverson, however, 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:
Rolling Out, “Allen Iverson could face prison over $40,000 in unpaid child support,” Amir Shaw, June 9, 2013; The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Report: Judges says Allen Iverson an unfit parent,” Feb. 4, 2013
