Child Support...Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200...  

Hi Twoey, Here in the UK the laws are different and we have something called the CSA which can deduct from a mans wages to provide for their children but my sons father is so unreasonable that to prevent him having to pay he gave up work instead so I get nothing. I think that what you have is wrong especially to take away the guys family home but at the same time a child should be supported as I find it a genuine struggle at times on my income bringing up my son singlehanded but manage somehow whilst his dad has brand new computers motorbikes etc. This is wrong also. Huggles. Ellie :D

I would pay child support. I do think it is wrong for some of these judges to take all of a person's paycheck for it. I worked with a man that worked for a $40 check for a 40 hour week. There is no way that a person can live on that.

I think it's great that governments are helping families out more, in order to get child support paid to the children who need it. I'm in Ontario, and we have the "Family Responsibility Office" (FRO) to help out in these matters. They are the ones who keep track of payments, or lack thereof. And they are the ones who can make the penalties happen. They do whatever they can to encourage payments, and those punishments (license loss, jail, etc) are absolute last resorts, because they would rather see at least SOME money going to pay arrears. They are very accomodating when it comes to making payment plans for this reason.

If any of my children needed to pay child support, I would definitely be on their case if they weren't owning up to their responsibilities. If I had been ordered to pay child support, I would be keeping up with payments as well, and if it was difficult, I would be taking it back to court for modifications. Spousal support is a different matter. I don't agree with that for the most part for people in my generation (I'm almost 36).

I am a single mother of 2 children. They have different fathers.

My son is almost 9 years old. His father has never voluntarily given me a dime. He has a court order to pay a measly $35 a week in child support and he can't even do that. Well, he can, but he chooses not to. He is currently just under $5000 behind. He is now married to a woman who does not care if he pays or not. He quits his job every time they start to take child support and she allows this because she makes enough to support them both. Illinois had control over the case until recently. Now Missouri is taking control over it and from what I have seen with my daughters fathers case, they are harder on non custodial parents in Missouri. Hopefully they will jump on him.

My daughter is 21 months old. Her father started paying child support when it got ordered, but not before. He was paying what he owed and even some extra every week like clock work until a few weeks ago when he got laid off from his construction job. He called me and explained it to me and said he was going to try to get another job as quickly as possible. He was a few hundred ahead when this happened, so he is good for now.

If either of my kids ever end up owing child support I would make sure that they pay it. It is not right to punish the kids because you don't want to be an adult and take responsibility for your children.

If I owed support I would pay it because my kids would deserve the money.

I don't think that there should be any sort of agency that keeps track of how child support money is spent. In my case I spend all of my money on things that the kids need and by the time I get the child support sometimes that gets spent on things that are not just for the kids.

I think that for some non custodial asset seizure is the only way of getting the money. I think it should be a last resort, but I don't see anything wrong in it.

This is sad, but true. My daughter is still trying to collect child support for her 16 month old daughter, who is the light of our lives. He has never met her, has only seen pictures, but is in another state, knows about her and will not do a darned thing.

He has another child by another women, from before he was with my daughter, and does not pay for that one either. If he comes back to our state, he will go to jail, but so far, nothing has worked and it stinks.

I wish that there was an organization that we could contact to help us help her fight for it and get it. She works long hours and has to live with us to support her child.

My son is payin back child support and should be done by March! and he has a grand baby from this son! After son turned 18 the court said he only had to pay $50 a month and they took it out of his check that was ok then the mom decided that wasnt enough so she went back to services now he has to pay $350 a monyth well at least is will get paid back sooner . But the thing is I think back in 93 thatr she was getting welfare and all from 2 states!
For I was getting calls from the other state demanding he pay them! Well I told them he was already paying the state we lived in and didnt think he needed to pay 2 states think it finanlly got cleared up that he pay teh one state but I think they were really trying to stick it too him
Also he had been paying her right out not thru the court she finnaly had to write every thing down he had given her and that was finally straightened out.
As to taking thier drivers liceince away I think that is very rediculas as how can they go to work if they cant drive!!!!!!!!
Like SON in laws brohter living with us has been out of work for 3 months adn has work 2 days in all that time if they took his liceince he couldnt go to work! when they call him,
Seems like they just want to put all in jail even if they are trying!

That is one thing I'm thankful for my sons dad has always paid with no problem, even before it was legalized. He does not see his son much. He does not make an effort to be a part of his life but he does pay child support.

I have unfortunately, had to deal with this issue with my exhusband who refused to pay the intentionally low amount of child support I asked the court to order (in the hopes that he'd pay) for our three children. He worked for his brother who ignored the wage garnishment orders that eventually had to be filed, paid him in cash and denied he employed him until the judge who presided over the second non-support hearing threatened him with requesting that the IRS take a look at his business. My ex's driver's license was suspended but he continued to drive and was never caught. Nothing changed so the third time we went to court, almost five years after we broke up, my ex was sentenced to 90 days in jail, received work release and I finally did start receiving child support but he eventually stopped paying again. It takes a great amount of time to fall so far behind and to be determined as being so uncooperative that your assets are seized. It takes effort to try to beat the system like that.

As far as allowing the custodial parent to spend the money as she/he sees fit you have to remember that there are a lot of expenses involved in caring for a child that are not often thought of. My residence had to be larger than it would have been if I didn't have three children, my utility bills and food costs were higher than if I lived alone. The children were covered under my insurance plan but I had to pay the deductables and co-pays for doctor visits and prescriptions. My oldest daughter developed pneumonia and was hospitalized for three days so I had a lot of medical costs related to that along with missed time from work. School supplies, clothes, field trips, sports equipment and registration fees, the increase in my auto insurance when each of them were old enough to drive are only some of the additional expenses I had.

I'm a strong supporter of shared custody, I believe that in most cases that is best for the child, and would have gone that route if my ex had chosen to live as a responsible parent instead of moving into his parent's home and going through a second adolescence, hanging out in the local bars with his buddies and being basically very irresponsible. Fast forward to today. My son is estranged from his former girlfriend and his daughter but he requested wage garnishment to ensure that the funds were available on a regular schedule and gives his ex additional money if she needs it for an emergency...most recently helping with the cost of a tire for her car. He saw what I went through as he was growing up so he is more responsible than his father was when it comes to the welfare of his child.

Hi twoey, I would certainly pay child support in such a case as I would want my child well cared for. The only reason that I can think of for not paying would be if I knew that it was not being spent on the child and that the child's needs were not being taken care off. In that case I would seek custody of my child. We should not play around with a child's life and because we are angry with an ex is no reason to hurt our children. Blessings.

I don't understand why people will not give child support to their children. They helped make them but seem to want to not have to be responsible after a separation (if not marries) or divorce. Just who do they think they are punishing. Why should the custodial parent need to give an account of what they did with the support money. After all the kid has to have a place to live. They have to have their food cooked and their clothes washed. They have to be taken places and they use Utilities too.Almost 40 years ago my ex spent 2 couple of nights in jail for non support. He decided he did like it so paid. Too bad the man had to lose his family property but when you play you gotta pay as the saying goes. If one of my kids didn't pay their child support. I'ed be after them like Ugly on an ape.