Family Law Lifeline

Posted on January 10, 2009 by John Steele

One of my favorite lines when a parent is asking me silly questions about reducing or changing child support, is “well, that sounds like you’re car repair/roof leak/whatever sure is putting a financial strain on you, but your kids still like eating.” It amazes me how non residential parents forget about that little fact.  If you lose your job, you still need to eat.  So does the children.

Child support is never fair.  It either unfairly enriches the residential parent (who doesn’t have to prove how she is using the money), or harms the children (who receive as little as $10 per month from unemployed non residential parents).  But it is better then no system.  I think if there was a better system, someone would have thought of it.  And since brains, money, and parental ability are (unfortunately) not required to create children, I think that child support will continue to bring out the worst in some people. Relatedly, did you know that you can prevent someone from getting a U.S. passport if they are behind in child support?  Along with revoking driver’s licenses, professional licenses, deer hunting permits, ruining credit reports, and handing you over to collections, you may be prevented from leaving the country.

I raise this everytime someone tells me that they are not going to pay their child support.  Last thought: I had a client who retained me for one issue related to his child, and ended up agreeing to help him in a child support case in a neighboring county.  I should have got more facts from my client about the new matter, because when I spoke to the opposing counsel, I was informed that my client was paying $10 per month in support.  My client responded he would be willing to up it to $10 a week.  My first thought was “what a pathetic loser”.

My second thought was how did the courts let this one through?  Well, to make a long story short, I could not find it within me to represent such a deadbeat.  After an hour of trying to explain how $10 a week does not buy a lot of food, I knew it was best I withdraw. For me, I got to look in the mirror with a clear conscience.  For him, he was free to find some sleaze ball that would argue for such nonsense. Posted on January 10, 2009 by John Steele

One of my favorite lines when a parent is asking me silly questions about reducing or changing child support, is "well, that sounds like you're car repair/roof leak/whatever sure is putting a financial strain on you, but your kids still like eating." It amazes me how non residential parents forget about that little fact. If you lose your job, you still need to eat. So does the children.

Child support is never fair. It either unfairly enriches the residential parent (who doesn’t have to prove how she is using the money), or harms the children (who receive as little as $10 per month from unemployed non residential parents). But it is better then no system. I think if there was a better system, someone would have thought of it. And since brains, money, and parental ability are (unfortunately) not required to create children, I think that child support will continue to bring out the worst in some people. Relatedly, did you know that you can prevent someone from getting a U.S. passport if they are behind in child support? Along with revoking driver’s licenses, professional licenses, deer hunting permits, ruining credit reports, and handing you over to collections, you may be prevented from leaving the country.

I raise this everytime someone tells me that they are not going to pay their child support. Last thought: I had a client who retained me for one issue related to his child, and ended up agreeing to help him in a child support case in a neighboring county. I should have got more facts from my client about the new matter, because when I spoke to the opposing counsel, I was informed that my client was paying $10 per month in support. My client responded he would be willing to up it to $10 a week. My first thought was “what a pathetic loser”.

My second thought was how did the courts let this one through? Well, to make a long story short, I could not find it within me to represent such a deadbeat. After an hour of trying to explain how $10 a week does not buy a lot of food, I knew it was best I withdraw. For me, I got to look in the mirror with a clear conscience. For him, he was free to find some sleaze ball that would argue for such nonsense.

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