Keshia Knight Pulliam and her estranged husband, Ed Hartwell, have been dealing with their bitter divorce case for several months. Hartwell filed for divorce while Pulliam was pregnant, though he continuously denied that he was the father of the child. Pulliam subsequently gave birth to a daughter and, after being forced to take a paternity test, Hartwell was found to be the father. Of course, this being the highly contested case that it is, the positive test result did not end the drama, as Hartwell is now refusing to pay any support for the child until the court makes a final determination as to the proper amount because he claims Pulliam is asking for too much. Keshia Knight Pulliam's Ex Admits He's The Dad, But Doesn't Want to Pay For Now, by TMZ Staff, tmz.com, February 21, 2017.
While Hartwell may be within his rights in refusing to pay without a child support order, he certainly isn't setting the stage for a positive co-parenting situation. Pulliam is apparently trying to get an emergency order for support, and he is attempting to block it, alleging that "they both have deep pockets." There is little doubt that there will be some amount of child support paid in this case, most likely from Hartwell to Pulliam, assuming she will have primary custody. Thus, the fact that he is putting up roadblocks in her attempt to get what their daughter is legally entitled to will likely not help when they have to work together as parents over the next 18 years. The article does not detail whether Hartwell will be asking for custody or visitation now that he knows he's the father. However, it does mention that he is setting up a nursery for the child at his house so, presumably, she will be spending some time there. At this point, it would be best for these parties to try to put their hatred for each other to the side to try to find a way to work together for the benefit of this child. Otherwise, they will be back in court over the next 18 years asking a Judge to help them work out things they should be able to work together to resolve.