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Sherri Shepherd accused of abandoning son

On Behalf of | Dec 3, 2015 | Child Support |

Pennsylvania residents may remember Sherri Shepherd from her seven-year stint as co-host of “The View”. Now, Shepherd is making headlines for more than just her commentary on popular news stories. Shepherd has been ordered to pay child support and alimony to her ex-husband Lamar Sally. According to Sally, Shepherd abandoned the child that they had together via surrogate.

Shepherd and Sally met in 2010 and got married one year later. While the couple was married, they decided to have a child using in vitro fertilization and a surrogate mother. Because Shepherd’s eggs could not be used, the process was completed with Sally’s sperm and an egg that had been donated. Halfway through the pregnancy, Shepherd and Sally separated.

According to reports, Shepherd abandoned responsibility for the child after separating from Sally. She did not attend the birth, would not allow her name to be written on the birth certificate and refused to pay child support. In an interview with People magazine, Shepherd said that she did not want the child and had only agreed to use surrogacy in an attempt to save her marriage. In April, a Pennsylvania court ruled that Shepherd’s name must appear on the birth certificate, and that decision has been upheld on appeal.

When couples using in vitro fertilization and surrogacy break up before their child is born, child custody and support issues can become complicated. A lawyer may be able to help a person who is involved in a dispute like this to determine what legal parental rights can be claimed.

Source: Life Site, “Court orders Sherri Shepherd to pay child support for surrogate son she abandoned,” Nov. 27, 2015

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