Dwight Howard’s child custody battle with his former girlfriend Royce Reed is getting so expensive that the former Basketball Wives “star” is asking the Los Angeles Lakers’ center to pay her lawyer fees.
Because Howard presumably has unlimited financial resources, Reed — formerly seen on the VH1′s reality show — filed a court motion in Florida for the NBA star to her legal bill that could rise as high as $100K or more before it’s all said and done.
TMZ said that Howard is seeking sole custody of his son, but the legal battle may not be fought on a level playing field from Reed’s point of view:
“According to the docs, Royce claims that Dwight rakes in over $1.3 million per month and should cough up the cash, otherwise, the fight’s not fair. She claims he can hire an army of lawyers … while she’ll get buried in bills and eventually have to drop out.
“In the docs, her lawyer says she’s already racked up a $44,113.50 bill and is expected to tack on another $60k plus if she continues to fight. . . for a grand total of $106,621.80.”
Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic (where he had spent his entire career) to the Lakers in August 2012. Reed was a Magic cheerleader when they met.
When it comes a contentious legal struggle in family court over alimony, child support, or custody, the lawyers often come out as the only winners, unfortunately, because the meter is running. Generally speaking, the law presumes — at least until the evidence proves otherwise — that joint custody rather than sole custody is appropriate.
