My new co-authored column, Passport Rules Unfair to Child Support Debtors (San Antonio Express-News, 9/8/07), criticizes the new child support/passport rules which are so overwhelmingly popular among the editorial boards of our nation’s newspapers. The column is a response to the Express-News’ recent editorial “Federal law catching up with deadbeat parents” (8/23/07). I commend the paper for its willingness to publish such criticism.
Passport Rules Unfair to Child Support Debtors
By Jeffery M. Leving and Glenn Sacks
San Antonio Express-News (9/8/07)
The San Antonio Express-News’ recent editorial “Federal law catching up with deadbeat parents” (8/23/07) presents a one-sided view of child support debtors. The editorial commends new passport policies which deny passports to parents who have fallen $2,500 behind on child support. The Express-News apparently believes that most child support debtors are willfully refusing to meet their support obligations, and asserts that many debtors seek to “hurt their ex-spouses by not paying child support.”
There are child support debtors who match the Express-News’ description, but they are very much the minority. Much has been said about a few of the large payments the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement says the program has collected, particularly the $311,491 paid by a father who was marooned in Hong Kong without a passport. Yet, according to the federal OCSE’s own data, such parents are in no way representative of the average “deadbeat.”
OCSE data shows that two-thirds of those behind on child support nationwide earned poverty-level wages; less than four percent of the national child support debt is owed by those earning $40,000 or more a year.
A look at Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s current “Texas Top 10 Most Wanted Child Support Evaders” poster on the AG’s website confirms this. There’s not one educated parent on the list, which instead contains six general/construction laborers, a landscaper, a salesman, and two tradesmen.
Child support obligors often fall behind because the child support system is mulishly impervious to the economic realities working people face, such as layoffs, wage cuts, unemployment, and work-related injuries. According to the Urban Institute, less than one in 20 non-custodial parents who suffers a substantial drop in income is able to get courts to reduce his or her child support payments.
Abbott’s office backhandedly acknowledges the difficulties men in these situations face, advising obligors, “It is best to get a lawyer, if you can afford one, to handle your attempt to change the amount of child support you owe.” How many unemployed blue-collar workers can afford to hire an attorney?
Another reason the passport rules are a bad idea is that the information being employed by the OCSE is often faulty. Child support enforcement agencies—including Abbott’s office—are notorious for their incessant “computer” errors which lead to the harassment and persecution of innocent citizens. Abbott’s office’s role in the Joe Martin case, as documented by the Des Moines Register, provides a good example.
Martin is disabled and childless, but was nonetheless targeted by the Texas Attorney General’s office for a phantom $3,500 child-support debt. According to the Register, the 47-year-old Iowan received numerous threatening letters which warned him that he could lose his driver’s license, have his bank account seized, and be publicly humiliated by being pictured on a “Most Wanted” poster. It was a case of mistaken identity–Abbott had the wrong Joe Martin–but it was only straightened out after media attention and a lot of heartache.
The passport rules also constitute a significant civil liberties violation. Given the errors in the child support system, as well as its often unreasonable demands and its inflexibility, the OCSE is effectively stripping many innocent citizens of their right to travel. In cases where an American’s passport has been lost while abroad, it means that he or she will be marooned in a foreign country, probably broke and possibly in danger.
While the OCSE and the media have focused on wealthy travelers, in many passport cases the money collected is not paid by the financially strapped “deadbeat” parent. Instead, it is paid by worried grandparents who don’t want their children trapped in a difficult situation.
In enforcing child support, both the federal government and the Texas Attorney General have emphasized punitive measures. What’s needed instead is an overhaul of the system, so that parents are not punished because they are unable to pay support obligations which are beyond their reach.
www.GlennSacks.com, Glenn Sacks
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36 users commented in " Passport Rules Unfair to Child Support Debtors "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackTo say that non-degreed persons should be exempt from their child support oblogation is absolutely ridiculous. I know many people without degrees who care for their children. Anyone in Texas who chooses not to pay child support deserves negative attention and lots of it. Only liberals cry about deadbeat dad’s rights. What about the rights of the children who not only grow up without their father but impoverished as well? Screw deadbeat dad’s, and anyone who sticks up for them. Society should pay for the deadbeat dad’s mistakes and actions? You pay for them since you like them so much. Have a deadbeat dad celebration and make yourself happy. You must be one of those fathers who refuse to pay child support because your wife doesn’t love you anymore. How pathetic you are to take that out on your children.
my ex husband refuses to get a real job and pay his support.He hasn’t filed taxes in at least four years and tells everyone that i will never get a dime of HIS money.I had the order fixed for him to only pay 200 dollars three times a year which comes out to 50 dollars a month.But I am the bad guy.what can u do?Now he has another son thats 6 years old my son who is 11 and now a new baby girl.I think if men wont pay the support they OWE their child then they should be forced to have a vacectomy so they can’t keep having kids they won’t take care of.
RPD…like what you said, not all “liberals” cry for deadbeat dads rights…haha…gross generalization…i am very “left” in many ways, and also a psychotherapist who works with the children being punished, perhaps inadvertantly, by the deadbeats….not to mention, dealing with one myself who is approx 15K behind [and spent years having nothing to do with our daughter] successfully forced me via court system [although we were never married and never a family] to quit my excellent job with benefits and move back to the south [from pacific NW] just so he was able to see her when he wanted to now that he has a new girlfriend….this from a very conservative court in the south….
and as always, the children are the ones who suffer….
The sad truth is these fathers need to take responsibility for their actions long before they unzip their pants. There’s no two ways about it; either they should get a vasectomy, to prevent the creation of kids they can’t afford, or they should pay child support when they create kids. And yes, kids cost thousands of dollars to raise.
Personally, I think Texas is doing a really admirable job identifying those men who wanted to shirk their responsibility. And the only reason men are angry is because they were able to abdicate responsibility for so long — and now have to pay the piper. Kudos, Texas! Keep up the outstanding work!
sorry i don’t get all of this as i’m in Australia. my bf is American and currently in Aus with me awaiting the birth of our daughter.. he is behind in his child support back over there because he is not allowed to work while in Australia. My family and i are supporting his stay here and paid for his airine ticket back toAus. does this mean that his passport has been cancelled and he won’t be allowed another? if so that is so not fair and our daughter will grow up without a father because of this stupid law.. i have a child from a previous relationship and have never once bothered to claim child support nor do i ever plan on it.we as woman know that if the man leaves we will have the child before we even get pregnant so really we have noone to blame but ourself. plus you dont go to jail for not paying it here. the most they can do is take your tax return.. i read how men work minimum wage over there and after paying support have nothing left to live off. any wonder there are so many homeless people in the usa.land of the free. i don’t think so
Americans have become so overwhelmingly stupid and ignorant over the years. Has anyone heard of the word extortion? Look it up in the dictionary. In fact, look it up in a dictionary from 50 years ago to one of today. Once the government has intruded into the relationships between mostly fathers and their children, those relationships are usually destroyed. And nobody buy a few gentlemen fight back? Is this not unconstitional? If I can’t renew my passport because of child support, what’s next? Americans are supposed to be lovers of freedom and will fight and DIE for it. I see Americans now as a bunch useless wimps without the fortitude to take on this socialist govenment they tell us we’re free! If the government has to be involved (which is promotes divorce because look at the money all the lawyers and courts make) the government should be promoting the family relationships and promoting father and mothers to be involved in dual rearing of their children they produced. Anyone put in jail for not paying child support is, by definition, a hostage. The US government doesn’t deal with their captors–neither do I.
Fortunately, the US economy won’t exist in 20 years. You’ll be overrun by the communists–you want it–look at your government. It’s already a police state. I’m glad and fortunate I left at the right time.
Classified by the US government: A Proud Deadbeat Dad
I owe substantial child support arrears which I have paying regularly for the last three years. I am not contesting the amount or that I made a serious mistake when I was younger. I’m paying what’s owed and I’ve made ammends with my daughter and ex wife. My current wife is Belizean and we have family in Italy where I grew up. Removing my passport is not only unconstitutional, it also violates the basic freedom to travel in the United Nation’s Declaration of Human Rights to which the U.S. is a signatory. It is simply a further form of punishing someone for a past mistake even though that person is making ammends. I can understand removing the passport for non payment but when regular, long term payment is being made, it should be re instated.
I owe over 15,000 in child support and now I am paying and have been paying child support plus arrears for the past 9 years my son is now 15 and I still owe a good amount due to the interest rate they add on. Does this make me a deadbeat because my arrrears was due to me being unemployed for a couple of years plus I was unable to work due to being in a car accident. But now 9 years later at 41 I would like to travel with my son, i was able to sign my name for permission for him to get his passport but where does it for on me. Not trying to make any excuses but I pay whats owed plus more, i make now under 40K per year, living in NY
I love how everyone wants to point the finger at men without even knowing the situation that led to them being behind.
For example, I was slapped with a huge arrears because my ex decided she wanted to file for support after we had been seperated for almost a year. During the time we were seperated and from the day my kids were born I took care of them in EVERY way not just by providing all of their income. The only reason she did that was because she didn’t want to work and her daycare was shut down by the state due to repeated violations. I started paying support via money order before the actual order was issued and taken from my check. Guess what??? I’m currently fighting in court to get credit for that because she refuses to acknnowledge this to the court!!! Friend of the court had the nerve to tell me “that’s why we reccomend you don’t pay them directly”. So I’m a deadbeat huh?
And as far as responsibility, how about the women who have baby after baby by scumbags who run the streets and refuse to work, then they turn around with their hands out and play the victim role. At least I can admit I chose the wrong woman to have kids with. What a country!
I love how all the angry women out here take a stereotypical view towards back child support. As far as I am concerned, child support payment amounts, in general, are quite redicules based on the cost of raising children. My ex complains monthly about how she feels that the $2000 I send her every month is not nearly enough to adequetly take care of the children. By the way she is calling me from her $500 dollar phone while sitting in her 2008 Lexus SUV. I hope she does not endager my kids while she is fishing it out of her $4000Luis Vutton bag(all very true, I assure you) All of you angry women out there crying for more, more, more. I hope you have done the responsible thing and keep your legs closed. It takes two to tango and you may have made quite a bit of your own mistakes to create this situation. From the infexibility of some of the women posting hate remarks on here. I am supprised that you are not still together with your ex(sarcasm). Work on the attitude ladies!!! Don’t be so damn greedy!!!
You know, everyone’s life is different. You have the good and you have the bad. All men should not be punished for a few sorry, selfish…… men that won’t do what is right if there life depending on it. I am a vet that had A1 credit and didn’t owe a dime in child support because that is the least I can do for my children. I spend time with my kids and purchase things for them outside of child support. I got out of the Army to spend more time with my kids because I spent more time deployed or preparing to deploy than I did with my family. After I got out, I wasn’t making nearly enough to pay my bills let alone keep up with child support. I went through being unemployed and a couple jobs but still fell behind. Now I have a wonderful job and have began to catch up on my child support. I got offered a position with the company making twice as much with better benefits because i have done so well. The only thing is, you have to be able to get a passport. I will deploy with the Army in support as a civilian making 6 digits in a year. Not only there is the possibility that I won’t get the position, I may get fired because the company doesn’t want personnel that is behind in child support or any major debt for that matter. I know that I am a fauther that wants the best for my children and because of a butch of sorry men before me and a government that put me in a bracket with them I can in up even worse behind than I am. It should be a case by case thing is all I’m saying. There are good men in bad situations out there. And for you people talking all crazy about all men behind like you know all of us. You have probly had something horrible happen to you that you couldn’t control or didn’t deserve therefore you feel the way you feel. Nothing in LYPHe is black and white.
Hello all. I am a father of a soon to be 16 year old that I have been paying child support for. (Need I say more) like a lot of dads out here on the list I fell victim to the system. I am ex-military I don’t have a college degree. Can’t afford to go to school (I have tried) and am now living in mexico working in san diego because the amount I am paying does not leave me enough to pay rent in san diego let alone provied for my current family. My daughter came aboutthrough my ex’s deciet and my stupidity (we broke up but stayed friends she stopped taking the pill and did not tell me till after the damage was done) I still took care of my responsibility. But again I was stupid. Anything and everything that was needed for my daughter I either bought or gave her cash for. And my payback was and still is I can’t see my kid unless its at her mothers house under her supervision because of all the “women” I have even though I am remarried 8 years and she is still playing the field. San diego court system bought her lies and her tricks and gave her what she wanted and me no vaseline. My arrears started when she went to court and told them I have not been supporting my kid. Gave them a false address for my residence so I never got the letter to appear in court and she was awarded “arrears” from the time my daughter was born. I did not know of this till a couple years later. I called to find out what was going on but it was to late I was 6years in debt with interest. I went to court and stated I had been taking care of my child told of the money I gave every month and the clothes and shoes I had been buying but because I trusted her I only had recent reciepts “saw no need to save them” and had no record of the cash except for the 1st of every month I showed a withdrawal for the amount I was giving her. The judge said that was a great gift. I have been paying support and back payment ever since. Unfortunately the back payents don’t cover the interest so that number is forever going up. Now I have a wife (of eight years as I mentioned earlier) and 2 boys by her. We all live in mexico. I have been there for 10 years documented by the courts. I still make my payments every paycheck (comes out directly) and now I have to leave my wife and 2 children because of the acts of a vendictive ex-wife. I still can’t afford to live in san diego so I’m stuck. After child support and arrears I bring home 1,400 a month. To rent a room in someones house you will pay at least 500 a month. I have 2 boys I am responsible for a wife and still have to eat and put gas to go to work. If I were to give for each of my boys what I give for my daughter I would be signing I O U’s every month. But for this I can’t get a passport. So here is the position I am in and I have been to the DA’s office here a complained. I either abandon my current family or become a mexican citizen. The da said yes those as it looks are your options. Now let’s ne real. Abandon my family? 2 more kids without a father is that what the system is telling me? Or never mind you fought for this country that is daily taking away our rights go be a mexican citizen. That makes sence. We are denying your passport cause you owe so change your nationality so we can’t collect and truly have nothing to do with your daughter. This is the government we live under.
What about the fact that a lady can have a kid and Kill it if she wishes. No one is taking her passport. In fact is.. The law says no one has to know. What about the millions of women who screw with no protection and give it up for adoption when they get pregnant? No one asks her for money do they?
You guys are brain washed into thinking that it is ok to slam these guys who simply had sex unprotected and have no option. They don’t have a way out after they make a mistake. Yes, I said mistake. This is insane. Anyone who has a problem with what I am writing is really not fair.
I also have 2 children from a previous marriage. Due to an injury over 10 years ago that left me unable to work, I ended up with a child support arrearage. No…I didn’t have the money at the time to hire an attorney and have the child support modified. I was then, and am now, living paycheck to paycheck. Fortunately for me, Vocational Rehab sent me back to school and trained me for the desk job I have now.
Also fortunately for me, my ex and I have a fairly good relationship…especially compared to some of what I have been reading on here. She never pushed for support through my injury and rehabilitation. She never pursued collection through any means. All she asked was that I regularly spend time with my children and do for them as I could. Of course, I did that.
So here we are, over 10 years later. I now have a new wife and 2 children. I have a decent job, and have been paying child support and some towards the arrearage regularly since I’ve been re-employed.
So now my company wants me to get a passport to travel to some of our jobsites abroad. Guess what…I’m scared to even apply. I have no idea how I will inform my boss that I am unable to obtain a passport. I’m certain this will be the end of my job, as it was made very clear to me and my fellow employees that this would be required.
What should I do? I have no means to come up with the money necessary to settle this debt immediately. However, when I lose my job over this, the debt is only going to get greater.
I guess we are all just stuck because of the actions of a few and an over zealous government.
STOP DIVORCING YOUR HUSBANDS THEN AND LEAVING YOUR CHILDREN FATHERLESS!!!!!!!! If you marry the guy, STAY WITH HIM!!!! That’s in the best interests of the children, NOT CHILD SUPPORT!!!!!!!!
Notice how everything is getting worse, not better? Gays, Divorce, Do what you wanna do, Abortion, Prayer Taken out of school, Religion Vs Politics, and so on….. you people are wrecking the whole country, you liberal, special interest, crying babies! Open your eyes people and see the light in front of your eyes! Selfish ingrates!
There’s no nice way to say it!
my child is not a pices of bate I read your thing … I hate it … love tonya
i’m so sorry if she was mean ……………… ………………….. love katlyn
I think you need to keep your legs closed…and then you wouldn’t have to deal with child support issues…You opened your legs just as easy as he unzipped his pants…so there!
Bamadad…Check out this website
http://www.childsupporthelp.org its an organization that can help you.
I feel if you are gonna open your legs then you are taking on that responsibility of raising a child..you are taking that risk..So if you want to play big girl role..then you pay for the freaking kids if the dad doesn’t help..Abolish child support. By the way I’am a woman..I’m sticking up for the so called deadbeats that everyone seems to call Dads. Most often by the time you go to court to get the child support in the first place, you walk out of the court room in the hole. Thats how most Dads get caught in arrears. So for all you BITCHES who complain about deadbeat dads go fuck yourselves. I’m so sick of hearing about women bitch about baby daddies I feel like slapping a bitch when I hear it. You opened your legs and put yourself in that position so you have no room to talk about Dads.
This is an emotional issue that cannot be solved with Napoleonic Laws which punish parents that are not able to afford the unjust negative awards of Divorce in American Society. The parents become enemies and it is all about money and then it becomes a battle of who is going to win. The government then lays down a blatant law which cannot be addressed fairly. It is always assumed the Dad is deadbeat and the amount of money accrues beyond his efforts or ability to ever pay. It is just another way to punish fathers in the USA to not divorce. Maybe the rise in murder and suicide rates are why so many men turn to desperate means to solve an unsolvable problem. The economic situation forces many men to work at lower paying jobs than their ex-spouse attorney supposedly proved to the court how much money they made. It is all sick and twisted and only goes to prove that American society is only all about money and greed. Believe me if I had the unGodly sum to pay it off I would. I have worked at jobs I hated and then after the companies went bankrupt or out of business I had to work for myself to life on poverty wages and then I am labeled a deadbeat dad because I cannot support a woman that wants to live in a lifestyle she does not deserve because she does not want to work and uses children as a tool to extort money from a man. I live a meager life and have had to move back in with my elderly mom and cannot afford to buy myself life’s necessities much less pay an exorbitant amount set by an unfair judicial system. Life in the US is out of control and government intervention in personal life is why.
Right - Gone
Liberty - Gone
Land of the Free - Gone
I story is no different then anyone here. Trying to keep everything simple is not how it is now in America. I am an American and love it. but with how our liberties are slowly taken away is insane. I met a beautiful girl that said she could NOT have kids, yet after we where told she was going to have our baby, she refused to have an abortion. I am not about abortion but we where not financially ready to take on the responsibility of a child. We separated and then now slapped me with Child support after moving clear across the Country. With no communication and way of seeing my son. now after 10 years, I met another we where together for 5 yrs. I had child support sent to me while I was living with her. (My current Ex) I could not believe that the women I was living with was doing this. When we separated I moved to another state. By older brother has the same first and Last name (yet we have different middle names. He was issued the support and did not know what it was. even though he showed his ID. this was 4 years ago, I have both can not see my kids, and with the economy without real work. I make less then 20K, from work and with child support taken out I make less then $800 to live off. for food, gas, transportation etc. I just had my Driver’s License taken away due to being in the rears. I am like WTF. I fell behind my child support, got pulled over only have a ID. No Car, due to I can not get one without a Driver’s License. Talk about living in a Police State. I used to be a Teacher in NJ. So I applied for a Job Abroad in Japan. I got as far as moving there. Was finally getting my life together. My Mother was getting a Divorce, So I came back to Make sure she was okay. I took the time to Visit my Son (Ex #2) and always send something kewl from Japan. But this was the year they where implementing the Deadbeat Dad’s Passport Law. Without me know and timing was bad on me. I could not leave the United States to go back to work. The Japanese Embassy, and US Embassy tried to make things right yet, I am stock again here in the States, Without Work, and No way of going back to Japan to work.
To summarize, it takes two to make a baby. and taking the responsibility of not issuing a Passport, should never been an Idea, This policy was created by a Women scorned, and with lot’s of money to make something like this pass. It is true that lot’s of dad’s get hit hard. Women say everyday. We want the same rights as men. We want equal on everything. But when it comes to baby’s they take the victim role. I have seen good men taken to the ringer, for when they separate. only asking what did you get you your check this week, and when shit hits the fan, they use the child as a leverage. WTF, all the women, should just leave the US and see how hard it is outside the states and see how good they got it. You can’t even look at a women without getting a Sexual Harassment suit. Most women from other countries see how good it is here, and want to move here to live, but then other women from here corrupt them, and then act just like them. I personally think that with modern TV show’s Reality Crap. just jade the minds of so many people. Everyone just want what is up with the Jone’s and Never are thankful for what they have. never working together to make it work. I think that America is a Joke, How could we gotten so far to get what we have today. I pray that when in the end all this push on money, and raising of Children does not fall on just blame. Keeping faith and Freedom to Travel, Why was I born here was not my Choice. But is the way of life now. It sucks to be an American today, but I am proud to be one. We are the Laughing stock of the World. I hope this law does change. But I don’t think so. just another right taken away from another American.
MOST FATHERS WANT THEIR CHILDREN. WOMEN SHOULD HAVE TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN AT THE SAME TIME. IF I HAVE THEM 40% OF THE TIME (LIKE I DO) THEN I PAY 60% OF THE SUPPORT (LIKE I DO). THEREFORE, SHE SHOULD PAY 40% OF THE SUPPORT (SHE DOESN’T). WATCHING THEM THE 60% IS NOT SUPPORT. OTHERWISE PAY ME 40% OF CHILD SUPPORT. WOMEN CAN BE SUCH STUPID IDIOTS. THE AG OF TEXAS AND MOST STATES IS A EVIL ORGANIZATION DESTROYING FAMILIES EVERYDAY. I COULD GO ON, BUT I AM TOO PISSED AT YOU WOMEN TO SAY MORE. IDIOTS!!!!!!!
What I don’t get is why there is no government agency enforcing married people to contribute for their children. I the parents are married there is no law stating that both have to work and provide a specific % for the children. There is also no law that says if both spouces/parents are working that they have to contribute a % of their checks as “gifts” for their children. So why is there a government enforced collection process that demands that the person not physically living with the children has to contribute a specific % as a “gift” to the child? For the record, I am a Mother that receives childsupport when he can afford to pay it. But I lived many years with the burdens from his previous marriages/children and the stress from the enforced orders and f’d up laws….which all eventually destroyed him, our marriage, our family and my children’s lives. Someone really needs to step up and correct this vicious child support system and stop putting every single case in the same category.
So, after all the talk, are there any answers? My ex makes over 150k a year and I only make about half of that. For a few years due to a slow down in my field I barely made anything and got behind about 20k. I’ve been paying regular support since then and an extra 125.00 per month in arrears but it will take many years at this rate to get the arrears below 2500.00. Is there any legal recourse to getting a new passport? My ex says she would try to help me because she doesnt even need the money and knows it will eventually be paid and isn’t afraid of me skipping the country, etc… Would any of that make a difference? I have work I could be doing out of the country that could help pay back more of the arrears faster. Any suggestions?
My ex husband is 9622. behind on support. He claims he injured his back in Iraq.. Well his back can’t be too bad if he can reroof his parents house, work on thier cars, and cut wood for them,, Wisconsin childsupport took him to court on contempt charges,, Oh guess what,, he got those charges dropped,, Then he has the nerve to take me to court to get his support stopped,, The Judge ordered him to pay 63.00 a month,, alot less then the 253. a month he was supposed to pay,, well guess what,, 60 days have passed and no support. So I called my CS case worker and she tells me the childsupport attorney wont take him back to court for contempt, because the Judge will say we are picking on him,,, Bull crap,, just make him pay the money or make him sit in jail,,, So for the last 8 years my new husband has been supporting my ex’s son and we are paying 400 a month for my new husbands kids,, I just wish I could find the right person who could help me,, My ex is scaming the Military and the court system.. Just frustrating
I can not continue my occupation because the company I was just hired requires me to go to Afganistan. I have been paying 1200.00 a month for two cases of child support plus 10% interest on 98,000.00 expotentially for years. My 14 year old son is in a foster home because he was removed from his Mom and I am required to pay full health insurance on him additionally. I have contacted the state of California time and time again with no response as to the whereabouts of my son and do not know who my money is going to. I need to go to Afganistan to a police training facility to test high voltage equipment. It pays 600.00 dollars a day war zone pay. I was hoping to recieve a passport just to go back to work and have this great oppertunity to pay the state of california a lump sum of child support. My initial job interview is this Monday and it requires me to have a passport as it is a global company. How is it that constitutionally I am enslaved by a debt brought on mainly by a degrading economy. I finally land a great career position thats going to make a difference in my childs life as I need to gain custody a hire a lawyer to represent me and my own government has hampered the very thing they require of me. HOME of the FREE, HOME of the HELPLESS, HOPELESS, HORRIBLE, CONGRESS and their MERRY MEN. I give up!
If you know you have child support and apply for a passport the government keeps the money and sends you back a thanks for recently giving us your money and getting nothing in return letter. Non-Negotiable
The child support laws are crap. I do believe that children should be supported, but it doesn’t cost $1,000 a month to raise a child, especially if they’re not in daycare or diapers. The child’s expenses should be added up and then split between the two parents rather than having a set amount each month. What happens to the extra money? It goes to the non-custodial parent. It’s not fair to the children or the non-custodial parent.
The child support laws are serious out of hand. I am just like some of the dads on here that was seperated sending checks to the mother and on the checks i would put child support on the memo. Well about 6 years later I get a letter from the child support office saying I am behind, I called them and they said it may be a mistake. They call back a few days later and informed me that I am behind, I told them I had proof with childsupport writen on the check and they tell me IT IS A GIFT. I didnt write gift on the checks. So now i am about 30,000 dollars behind for gifting my children well I guess that makes me a deadbeat dad,, huuhhhhhh.I thought when you write a check it was a legal document but i guess not for child support.
All this talk about deadbeet dads, and I fall into the opposite category. My ex, after having kidnapped y children from me was awarded “de facto” custody of our four children. I was stuck with child support, beginning in November of 2009. His lawyer made a typo in the divorce decree, causing the child support to be due a year early. I lost my job shortly after our divorce and have been unable to locate employment. I also have a baby at home (not his), meaning that I also need to pay for daycare when I work. They are basically threatening to take everything from me, passport, driver’s license, and ruin my credit which is already bad. It’s not always dads in these situations.
I have a question to go along with all of this. If they want parents to step up, why doesn’t the DA offer employment services instead of making it harder to get a job?
All the stories of non-custodial parents trying to pay arrears for large amounts of money, situations where they can not ever pay off the debt
is servitude. It is servitude by device. Just because someone has rename
a debt, an obligation, to meet their own agenda does not make it true.
Senators and Congressmen do it all the time. Thus, goes the way of the judge. Just as the plantation owner did in the old south before the civil war. A result of servitude or financial slavery is the same no matter what you call it. Exactly what the constitution was written for, 13th Amendment. Servitude by any other name still stinks.
All that is going on here is that everyone is complaining, wasteing time and nothing is getting resolved this way.Why don’t we all just get together and do something about it? Perhaps a petition? Revolt? ?
Hi. I have been in arrears for years. It is impossible to catch up. I became a US Citizen, only to find out about the passport denial law when I got denied my passport. I am very upset at this insane law. I cannot visit my mom, sister and brother in Europe. Where are the rights of the people? Do we have any? The passport denial law believes that by not giving the passport to the person owing the support stops the person from leaving the Country. No one would leave his own Country to avoid child support. I also like to point out that this law is not going to prevent people from spending money on vacations abroad or inside the mainland. We should all get a petition and fight for our rights. Our Country fought wars to be free and we want to continue to be free, but not like this.
What about those of us who can’t work and are getting f’d over because of that? I, the mom of 5, served this country, but was released from the military because of several mental ‘defects’. I can’t work with people. I am qualified to do nothing. Do you know how hard it is to be kicked out of the military during wartime? I’m that messed up in the head. I have custody of two of my kids, have no income and the state won’t help me because I am staying with a friend to stay off the streets with the kids that I do have. My ex that wants money, makes 70k a year. The Army f’d me over and didn’t give me disability, which I need. So I can’t work, I have no money, I can’t get benefits and my ex is loaded and now if I don’t pay up, I’ll get arrested and lose my kids that I m trying the best I can to care for. I was paying when I could, but I can’t afford it anymore, with no income. Does this sound fair and ok to you? Am I supposed to be punished for shit that is beyond my control? My mental illness didn’t pop up, until after I had my kids, so shit happens sometimes and it’s not always the non-custodial parent’s fault and they don’t always have a way to fix it.
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