A Florida man has been charged with failure to pay court-ordered child support to his former wife. According to authorities, the man was ordered in 2002 to pay her over $2,000 a month in child support and day care costs; she claims that she never received any of these payments.
As a result of his failure to comply with his legal responsibilities, the 49-year-old is being charged with nine counts of failure to pay child support. He reportedly owes his ex-wife over $165,000 for the payments not received between 2002 through 2012. If he is found guilty on all nine charges, he could face more than a dozen years in prison.
Unfortunately, many parents with sole custody of their children after a divorce have trouble collecting child support payments from the non-custodial parent. Without these court-ordered funds, many children are unable to experience the same standard of living they experienced prior to a divorce.
Determining the terms of child support payments can be a difficult and emotional process. Once the court determines the amount one former spouse is to provide to the other, this decision is legally binding. When one parent fails to live up to his or her legal obligations, the other parent may be reluctant to press charges in order to get the money that is owed.
In these situations, it is important for parents to consult family law attorneys who have the experience to work aggressively for their clients. Holding the non-custodial parent responsible for child support payments that have been ordered by the court can be a difficult process. A skilled legal team can help ensure that the children of divorced parents are still properly cared for after the marriage ends.
Source: Waukesha, WI Patch, “Florida Man Owes Ex-Wife $166K in Child Support, Complaint Says,” Sarah Millard, Feb. 3, 2013
