Divorced father ordered to pay HALF his daughter's $225,000 Ivy League law school tuition after SHE cut contact with him 5 years ago

  • Rutgers University history professor James C. Livingston was told to pay $112,500 so that his daughter can attend Ivy League Cornell Law School
  • Despite communications between father and daughter breaking down, Mr Livingston said he would pay $7,500 a year for her to attend Rutger's law

By Louise Boyle

PUBLISHED: 14:25 EST, 6 March 2014 | UPDATED: 17:42 EST, 6 March 2014


Rutgers' professor James Livingston has been ordered to pay $112,000 towards his daughter's law school tuition despite the fact they no longer speak

Rutgers' professor James Livingston has been ordered to pay $112,000 towards his daughter's law school tuition despite the fact they no longer speak

A father has been ordered to pay half of his daughter's $225,000 law school tuition despite the fact she cut contact with him five years, it has been revealed.

Rutgers University history professor James C. Livingston was told to pay $112,500 so that his daughter, identified only as 'J', can attend Cornell Law School.

The law school tuition is only a few thousand dollars short of Mr Livingston's annual college salary of $123,500.

Mr Livingston divorced from his wife Patricia Rossi in 2009 after 26 years of marriage.

The couple, who used to live in Highland Park, New Jersey, agreed to split the cost if their daughter attended law school and maintained a C average grade.

Following the divorce, Mr Livingston claims that his daughter no longer wanted to speak to him.

The college professor told MailOnline today that it was not true that he had fallen out with his daughter as was initially reported and that she had cut contact with him in 2009.

In an email, Mr Livingston wrote: 'She stopped communicating with me in 2009, but I assumed that once the high feelings understandably caused by the divorce had subsided, we would reconstruct our relationship. 

'Our five-year estrangement is not a product of mutual agreement, in sum.  It still feels inexplicable.  It's her decision, not mine.'

Miss Livingston, 26, graduated from Rutgers University shortly before her parents divorce and did not enroll in law school until three years later.

Professor Livingston claimed in the lawsuit that his daughter had previously agreed to start law school within a year or two of undergrad but instead took time off and got a job.

 

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Despite communications between the father and daughter having broken down, Professor Livingston said he would pay $7,500 a year for his daughter to attend Rutger's law and live at home.

She decided to go to the Ivy League school Cornell in Ithaca, New York.

A two-judge appellate panel told Mr Livingston last month that a lower court's decision would be upheld.

The judges voted in favor of the professor's daughter saying that the divorce papers did not allow the father to dictate what school she could go to.

Professor Livingston was ordered by an appellate court on Wednesday to pay half of his daughter's quarter of a million dollar tuition to Cornell Law School

Professor Livingston was ordered by an appellate court on Wednesday to pay half of his daughter's quarter of a million dollar tuition to Cornell Law School

Professor Livingston also argued that he was not obligated to pay if his daughter was estranged.

Ms Rossi's lawyer Daniel Brown told NJ.com: 'You could read the tea leaves. The parties negotiated the settlement as to what their respective obligations would be.

The parties can agree to support the child and that's exactly what occurred here.'

Mr Livingston's lawyer Edward Snyder was not available for comment when contacted by MailOnline today.

There was no indication that the college professor would appeal the verdict. 

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No matter what imagined financial "obligation" a parent may have regarding college finances, it should NEVER be mandated WHICH college must be paid for! This man's daughter should be required to get a J.O.B. and a student LOAN to put herself through law school if that's what she chooses. Damn these young people today are spoiled with such an outrageous sense of entitlement !

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Ridiculous! Spoiled little girl. Also when did it become obligatory for parents to pay a child's college tuition. I thought if they could afford it they'd help out or pay, but I thought at 18 a child was an adult, therefore making this college tuition a nice to have but not required. When I grew up most parents could not afford it, but could afford helping. Never would have expected my parents to pay.

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In Canada in April 2001 the Canadian Courts ruled that a divorce settlement is NEVER final and can be re-opened and changed at any time, no matter what length of period has passed, for purposes of changing financial settlement, custody, etc. So in Canada if you get married you are responsible for your ex-wife and children forever - period. There are also cases where Canadian courts have ruled pre-nuptial agreements null - when women come out of the divorce proceedings with less than the man even though they agreed in writing to the to pre-nup beforehand. And in a final insult - a Canadian court ruled that a man's last will and testament was null and void because the court perceived that it was sexist and violated women's equality rights.

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Why make him support a 29 year old? Doesn't make sense to me.

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How about that for nerve! She morally objects to speaking to her father for years as a result of the divorce ( her right, I guess) but is perfectly fine with accepting his money to pay to university! Unreal

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If I were him, two words...' MAKE ME'!

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I wouldnt

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only a complete idiot goes to law school these days. Dead end with lots of debt and horrid job prospects.

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This gives me ANOTHER REASON WHY NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN.

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It's simple contract law. The story makes it seem as though the father was made to pay for law school out of the blue, but if you read carefully you can see that he had agreed to pay for law school as part of the divorce agreement years prior.

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