Kobe Bryant Divorce Would Cost Lakers Player $1.36 Million a Month, Details
A California attorney said if Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa were to continue divorce procedures - though they announced their reconciliation in January - the ultimate divorce would cause the Los Angeles Lakers player $1.36 million a month in child and spousal support.
Andrew L. Botros calculated the figure based on a report by Forbes magazine that estimated Kobe's annual income to be around $53.2 million. The California resident makes approximately $20.3 million in salary/winnings and $32 million in endorsements. Kobe, 34, is also No. 6 on the list of the word's highest paid athletes, according to the publication.
Based in those figures, Botros said that if Kobe and Vanessa ever decide to divorce - and assuming that Kobe would get 50/50 custody of his two daughters - he would pay near $365,000 in child support a month under California law. In addition, he would pay near $1 million a month in spousal support because a prenuptial agreement was not signed before the couple wed in April of 2001.
"Under California law, every penny Kobe earned from basketball or endorsements from the date of marriage to the date of separation is considered community property. It's half Kobe's and half Vanessa's," Botros said. "That also applies to every mansion, car, yacht, or private jet that the either party purchased with community money. "
Botros is an attorney with the Law Office of James D. Scott, a San Diego law firm. The office specializes in high-asset and high-income family law and has dealt with professional athletes going through divorce proceedings in the past, according to Larry Brown Sports.
The $3 million mansion Vanessa and Kobe owned in the gated Newport Beach community of California sold days before the pair announced their reconciliation and the cancellation of their divorce petition, according to Radar Online. It was one of three homes they jointly owned in the community.
