Earlier this month on July 3, a judge issued an order to detain former wrestler Ric Flair for failure to make spousal support payments to his estranged wife. He owes her more than $32,000. Failure to pay spousal support is serious and may result in severe penalties. Failure to pay child or spousal support is a recurring issue in New Mexico and nationwide.

According to court documents, his wife had filed for legal separation last summer at which time Flair was ordered to make spousal support payments to her in the amount of $4000 per month. At the time of the judge’s July 3 ruling, despite at least one additional prior court order, Flair still owed $32,451. The wrestler may yet avoid possible detention and jail time if he pays what is owed.

There are no reports of Flair having made any comment. In cases of spousal support, the income of the paying spouse may have great effect. A former professional athlete, for example, who once perhaps earned millions of dollars per year, may still struggle to make these payments for any number of reasons. Any person often may face the same difficulties. Inability to make-ends-meet is not just a problem for the average Joe. Celebrities can suffer in the same way.

New Mexico and other states may use mathematical formulas to determine both child and spousal support. In addition, judges in each case are believed to possess wide latitude in what they determine to be the correct decision for each case. For a person facing issues with support payments, consulting a family law attorney may be of substantial help. An attorney may be able to, after a thorough examination of the facts, outline a course of action that the court would deem fair and acceptable to both parties.

Source: Fox News, “Arrest order issued for former pro wrestler Ric Flair over spousal support payment “, July 17, 2013