The Texas-born musician Usher has had a number of legal problems both because of sexual battery charges filed by three people against him who claim he gave them herpes and in relation to a child custody agreement with his ex-wife. She and Usher divorced in 2009 and have a 9-year-old and a 10-year-old.
The couple signed a custody and child support agreement in August 2012 in Georgia. On April 10, Usher's ex-wife filed a registration at Los Angeles Superior Court for an out-of-state custody order. The documents say that Usher has visitation rights and she has custody.
His ex-wife is asking for enforcement of their custody and support agreement. There is also speculation that she might be asking for Usher to start paying more in child support since the documents make reference to a support modification because of a change in circumstances. Usher must contest the validity or enforcement of the order within 20 days after receiving notice of it.
While the arrangement between Usher and his ex-wife is a more traditional child custody and visitation agreement in which the mother has custody and the father has visitation rights, there are a number of other types of arrangements parents might use. For example, parents might decide to share custody, and in this case, the child might spend roughly equal time with each parent. A request for a child support modification usually occurs if a parent's income changes significantly. A parent could also request a modification after a significant drop in income that makes it difficult to keep up with child support payments. Custody and visitation may need to be modified if a parent relocates, and a parent might not be allowed to take a child to live far from the other parent.