Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has had a child support petition in Los Angeles County dismissed after a tense courtroom exchange between opposing lawyers.
The judge in LA County dismissed the case without prejudice, which leaves Goltes free to file again in the future. The action came after her attorney Evan C. Itzkowitz moved to withdraw the case, a maneuver that reportedly irritated Doncic's lawyer, Laura Wasser.
The dismissal followed a remote hearing in LA County. Wasser, a prominent divorce attorney representing Doncic, addressed the court during the session.
"I believe that was in our paperwork, your honor, that this never should have been filed in the first place," Wasser said during Friday's remote hearing, as quoted by the California Post. "But I believe that Mr. Itzkowitz is about to tell you that he's requested a dismissal of the entire action, and you don't even need to rule on our motion to quash. Is that correct, Mr. Itzkowitz?"
Itzkowitz did not dispute the statement and explained to the court that he had resubmitted paperwork to withdraw the case.
"We actually filed it and it was rejected for lack of signature by Mr. Doncic, which is not required," Itzkowitz said, as reported by the California Post. "We have resubmitted it based on a recommendation by a clerk."
Goltes, who is the mother of Doncic's two daughters, originally filed the child support petition in Los Angeles County on March 9. In response, Wasser filed for a dismissal in California. At the time, Wasser stated that the petition by Goltes was "a clear attempt to forum shop and avail herself of the generous amounts of child support for which California is well-known."
Attorney arguments and withdrawal terms
In an August 3 request to withdraw the action, Goltes stated that she wanted to resolve her split from Doncic "amicably and by a mutual agreement which is in the best interests of our children." Neither Itzkowitz nor Wasser immediately responded to a request for comment from The Daily Mail.
In legal proceedings, a dismissal without prejudice allows a petitioner to refile claims at a later date if an agreement is not reached outside court.
While the California case has ended, TMZ recently reported that Goltes is seeking $50 million from Doncic in their native country of Slovenia. That sum includes $40 million for herself and $10 million for their two daughters.
Relationship background and contract details
Doncic ended his engagement with Goltes in March, just months after the birth of their second daughter, Olivia. Doncic described the decision as a tough choice.
"I love my daughters more than anything and I've been doing everything I can for them to be with me in the US during the season, but that hasn't been possible, so I recently made the tough decision to end my engagement," Doncic said in a statement provided to ESPN. "Everything I do is for my daughters' happiness and I will always fight to be with them and give them the best life I can."
The two native Slovenians had been together since 2016, when Doncic was a teenage player for Real Madrid in Spain. After Doncic entered the National Basketball Association with the Dallas Mavericks in 2018, much of the couple's time together was spent in Texas.
Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million maximum contract with the Lakers one year ago and is entering his third season with the franchise. The Lakers were recently sold for $12.5b.
