Bristol Palin owed $38,500 in support

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LOS ANGELES, April 7 (UPI) -- Bristol Palin's attorney says the father of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's grandson is nearly two years behind in child-support payments.

Palin's attorney told TMZ.com Levi Johnston last wrote a check in June, which the Web site said works out to an outstanding balance of $38,500.

Bristol Palin has not taken legal action to force Johnston to cover the balance, and Johnston declined to tell TMZ what his intentions are.

The attorney said Palin still hopes Johnston will make amends and does not want to make a bad situation worse.

"We were also concerned that garnishment or other aggressive collection efforts could exacerbate an already strained relationship," the attorney said.

Palin and Johnston are the parents of Sarah Palin's grandson, Tripp, who was born in 2008.