LITTLE ROCK -- The mother of Sacramento Kings player Corliss
Williamson's child has lost an appeal before Arkansas' Supreme
Court over a malpractice claim against her attorney, stemming from
a child support case against the former Arkansas Razorback.
Justices agreed with the Washington County Circuit Court's
dismissal of a malpractice claim filed by Teresa Davis of
Fayetteville against her attorney, Vandell Bland.
Davis, of Fayetteville, had requested Williamson pay her $24,000
a month in child support. The Arkansas Supreme Court had denied
Davis' request, ruling instead that Williamson pay $3,900 a month,
which was less than the $5,000 a month she was receiving.
Davis is the mother of Williamson's son, 8-year-old Chasen Cole
Williamson. Williamson had argued that the $5,000 a month he paid
Davis was more than enough to support Chasen.
Davis had filed for malpractice against Bland, who represented
her in her appeal before the Supreme Court on the paternity case,
and sought more than $1 million in damages. Davis argued that the
amount represented what the court would have awarded her in back
and future child support.
The lower court dismissed the complaint and said that Davis was
unable to prove that she would have won her appeal without Bland's
negligence.
Justices agreed and said that there was no evidence Davis would
have prevailed in the paternity case.
Justices said the lower court was correct when it determined
that child support does not have to be calculated to provide a
child with a standard of living identical to Williamson's.
"This factor was considered by the paternity court who reasoned
that (Williamson's son) would continue to enjoy a comfortable
standard of living based on the support awarded," Justice Donald
L. Corbin wrote in the opinion.