*Sherri Shepherd is now facing a legal bill to pay alimony and child support after a Pennsylvania judge ruled Tuesday that she is the legal mother of a now 8-month-old surrogate baby with ex-husband Lamar Sally.
“Now that Sherri’s name is on the birth certificate, it is possible she may have to reimburse the state of California for the health insurance and WIC benefits, to cover the cost of formula,” Sally’s lawyer Tiffany Palmer tells PEOPLE. In addition her firm will be seeking “tens of thousands of dollars” from Shepherd in legal fees.
“The ultimate outcome is that this baby has two legal parents, and the parents are Lamar Sally and Sherri Shepherd,” adds Palmer.
“She has to be responsible for this child that she conceived and created.”
Prior to the judge’s decision to officially list Shepherd on the birth certificate, the baby’s legal mother was listed as surrogate Jessica Bartholomew. As a result of Bartholomew’s name being listed, the state of California initiated a child support action against her.
“Sherri owes me an apology for the things she put me through in the last year,” says Sally.
He adds the apology should go to “me, Jessica and [baby] LJ. At some point she is going to have to look into his face and say, ‘I’m sorry. You were conceived out of love.’ Whether she admits to it or not, she owes me and Jessica an apology.”