Ex-Wife of NBA Star Seeks 13 Years of Child Support in Advance

When it comes to family-law-related frustrations, child support tends to be high on the list for many people. Parents who are court-ordered to pay child support often complain that they’re being asked to pay too much or that the system is inflexible.

Conversely, those who receive child support often feel like they have to enforce payment themselves; either by repeatedly calling the other parent or by taking them to court in some instances. Thankfully, California employs a number of child support enforcement methods to make sure that children are adequately cared for.

We’ve all heard of obligors who get dragged to court and forced to pay overdue child support. But in a recent case involving retired NBA star Allen Iverson, the mother of Iverson’s children went to court seeking advance payment.

Allen Iverson is now divorced from Tawanna Iverson, who apparently has primary custody of their five children. This summer, she took him to court regarding $40,000 in overdue child support he allegedly owed. Iverson paid up only after a judge threatened to jail him if he didn’t.

But last month, Tawanna Iverson sought a more permanent solution to her problem, because she was tired of going to court with her ex-husband over missed payments. Therefore, she asked a judge to order him to pay all remaining child support that he owes in one advance payment.

The couple’s youngest son will turn 18 in October 2026. Ms. Iverson wants her ex-husband to pay the $8,000-per-month payments from now until then in one lump sum, which would amount to about $1.272 million. If the plan were to be approved, the woman said, she would put that money in a trust fund for their children.

That seems like a lot of money, and it is for most people. But in light of the fact that he is paying for five children, the amount actually seems reasonable. Furthermore, his successful career in the NBA suggests that Allen Iverson could likely afford to pay his obligations in one lump sum.

Source: Examiner, “Tawanna Iverson wants $1.2 million in advanced child support,” Shawn S. Lealos, Sept. 1, 2013