Minnesota residents may have recent read media reports indicating that the former “Two and a Half Men” star Charlie Sheen had filed papers seeking to have the $55,000 in child support he pays to his former wife Brooke Mueller each month reduced. It has since emerged that Sheen had filed a similar motion in connection with the child support that he pays to his second wife Denise Richards. Sheen has two daughters with Richards and two sons with Mueller.
According to media reports, Sheen took these actions because his income has plummeted dramatically since leaving the hit CBS show. Sheen earned as much as $613,000 per month at the height of the show’s success, but he says that he is now earning less than his combined child support obligations. Sheen and Richards divorced in 2006, and the actor announced that his third marriage was ending in 2011.
The 50-year-old star has suffered a number of recent financial setbacks. The actor says that his debts total about $12 million and he has over $25,000 in medical expenses each month that are not covered by his insurance plan. He also claims to have been the victim of extortionists who threatened to reveal his HIV diagnosis unless he paid them $10 million.
Judges are often reluctant to modify decisions made by their peers, and petitions to have child support obligations reduced or otherwise altered are likely to be closely reviewed. Experienced family law attorneys will likely be aware of this, and they could assist clients considering such a petition by explaining the type of arguments that judges may find persuasive and the sort of evidence that could add weight to them.