Many parents in New Jersey probably have some arrangements in place so that when they pass away their children will be taken care of. Those who pay child support might think that those payments would end upon their death. Other parents might disagree. This includes the mother of one of deceased rapper Nate Dogg’s children, who is now going after his estate in an attempt to collect child support she claims he never paid.
According to the mother, the rapper never made any child support payments since the child’s birth in 2006. Nate Dogg was allegedly ordered by the court to pay $4,358 a month to the woman. The woman claims the amount is now $340,000 in back support. In order to collect, she has filed a suit against the deceased rapper’s estate, and has even claimed child support payments after his death.
Nate Dogg’s estate has been filled with controversy. He died without a will, so his wife and his mother tried to handle the estate. His children became upset, however, and claimed that the women planned to distribute the assets unfairly. Eventually, the two women withdrew in order to avoid any more conflict.
Reports have indicated that Nate Dogg did not have much money at the time of his death. Therefore, he may not have been able to make the child support payments later in life, even though he making more money at the time of the child’s birth. However, it does not appear that he ever went to court in order to lower the payments.
It is important to note that the amount of child support a court orders is based on the parent’s income. If a parent’s income changes due to the loss of a job, for example, then the parent should make arrangements with the court in order to lower the monthly payments through a child support modification. It is not advisable to start paying less, or nothing at all, without the approval of the court.
Source: The Versed, “Mother Of Nate Dogg’s Child Goes After His Estate For $340K In Unpaid Child Support,” Andrew Watson, April 21, 2013