NHL Player Wins Round in Child-Support Case

(CN) - Professional hockey player Rod Brind'Amour will not have to pay more than $9,147 per month in child support, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled. His former wife, Kelle, appealed that amount, but Judge Bryant ruled that it was reasonable.

The couple separated in 2003 after seven years of marriage. They have three children.

Brind'Amour must also pay for the children's health care and extracurricular activities.

Brind'Amour has played in the NHL for 20 years and is captain of the Carolina team. He led the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006, but has been on the sidelines for more than a year after undergoing knee surgery.

The trial court, in its fact-finding, determined that Brind'Amour "has a strong desire to instill the value of frugality and hard work in his children, notwithstanding his high income."

Therefore, the expenses for the children are higher when they are with Kelle (60 percent of the time) than when they are with Brind'Amour.

In fact, the trial court found Kelle's expenses related to the children to be "excessive" and an increase in the amount of child support would result in a "windfall to her and her choices, more than it would serve to benefit any reasonable needs of the children."

Bryant upheld the trial court's determination that Kelle's expenses of $1,130 for the children's recreation should be cut to $355 per month.

Also, the court determined that Kelle does not need to spend $1,300 per month on a nanny, with a separate vehicle provided for the nanny's use.

Bryant agreed that "the children's need for supervision and transportation can be met without assistance of a nanny."

Bryant rejected Kelle's argument that without increased funds, the children's standard of living would suffer.

"The trial court determined, in its discretion, that a portion of the expenses defendant claimed as related to the needs of the children were either unrelated to need or were exorbitant."

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