A 31-year-old father was recently released from jail for failing to pay child support. He is supposedly $50,000 behind on payments, and will be sentenced in early April for failure to support or maintain a child.
In this case, while the man has already pleaded guilty, he said upon release that he would find a job within the next day or two. Half of his net income will then be turned over to pay back child support for his 11-year-old daughter. As long as he complies with the court orders, the state has agreed to recommend probation instead of jail time.
The 31-year-old father said that for income he’s hopeful that he can sell cars. He said that he has 10 years of sales experience, but has just been out of work for the past few years.
In this case, the fact that the father faces criminal consequences for being behind on payments shows just how serious the courts take paying court-ordered child support.
In the state of Missouri, parents who are behind on their payments are normally contacted by the Division of Child Support Enforcement. Of course, in some of these situations, the parent has not paid because they are out of work, or their financial situation has changed and a modification to the existing order is needed.
In this recent case, the district judge has already said that the child support payment schedule that was set in May 2005 will be re-evaluated.
In general, if you are a father who was recently contacted by the DCSE, do not go at this alone. Instead, make sure to contact an attorney who focuses on family law to make sure that your interests are also protected.
Source: The Record-Courier, “Man admits he owes $50,000 in child support,” Feb. 13, 2012
