How Long Do You Have to Keep Paying Arrears

[mmmagique]

That's crap. He doesn't owe the arrears to the adult child. He owes them to the other parent who went without because your husband either couldn't or wouldn't pay in a timely manner.
I'm not saying I don't believe you. I'm saying it's not fair. (something you seemed to be concerned with earlier.)

[Dogmatique]

That's crap. He doesn't owe the arrears to the adult child. He owes them to the other parent who went without because your husband either couldn't or wouldn't pay in a timely manner.
I'm not saying I don't believe you. I'm saying it's not fair. (something you seemed to be concerned with earlier.)

I agree, completely.

Gotta love the smugness, too.

[Pegmom3]

What I posted was they dropped the SURCHARGES aka INTEREST aka money owed to the STATE..not the amount actually owed to the CP,that money(as explained by the judge to my husband,was not owed to CP).The judge brought this COAP to OUR attention,not the other way around. The remainder of the amount he stills owes is due to the CP,and we will pay and have been. And the CP and child NEVER went without. His child hasn't gone without financially neither has the mother,hubbys mom and dad gave the mother $400 per monthfrom birth to age 4 (CS order was for $800, hence the arrears)while he was locked up and we still owe them for that,never been on state aid/public assistance,always has the newest phone,computer,name brand clothes and shoes,he's actually spoiled.My husband paid for the childs school clothes and neccessities every year since age 4,sports equiptment for 2 sports he played in every year since he was 4 years old(not cheap at ALL) on top of his $800 CS(was reduced to $150 2yrs ago when hubby was in an accident and lost his job). His arrears are because he was in prison. He's not proud of the prison situation but it is what it is(basically a kid started a fight,my husband defended himself,hubbys cousin pulled a gun and started shooting at the kid,because hubby was 18 when the trial started he had the book thrown at him,made an example of). Now our 3 children who we shop for at the Salvation Army,receive public assistance,and visit the food pantries in the winter while my husband is laid off,meanwhile we try to live off of $700 per month unemployment benefits($500 of which is paid to rent) The only thing he did go without was a stable environment(the mother was on drugs and basically her mom raised him from birth to 4yrs. Thankfully the child has a great relationship with hubby,mom not so much.The adult child came into the hearing on his fathers behalf and is the one that brought up that he was not living at home and pays his own bills,which really didn't have much to do with the judge deciding to sign off on the COAP. The mother was not present because the money they compromised is not due to her and obviously it is not payable in the foreseeable future.It was an expression of relief, not smugness,perhaps the smiley face I inserted offended?Everyone is so quick to judge. That's not my job but Gods.

[Chede]

Quick to judge? He owes child support. He CHOSE to break the law and he went to prison. He should have paid the child support. Period. No one cares about how YOU want to justify the situation (which really, is not your situation, it's the child's father - who just so happens to be your husband).

[Pegmom3]

Yeah, okay he CHOSE to break the law. When someone hits you in the face you're just going to sit there and take it,not defend yourself? Right. I'm sure that's exactly what everyone thinks as a teenager."I'm going to go to prison for defending myself,I better just lay here and let them possibly kill me" The fact of the matter is he IS paying child support,just not the surcharges, CP is getting what is owed to them. The state just isn't getting what they feel neccessary to charge interest on the arrears,was never going to be paid to CP. This is how the judge explained it. SO you're upset because he is not paying the interest,that CP was never going to get?

[EA1070a]

There's nothing wrong with feeling relief and seeing an end in sight.

[Pegmom3]

There's nothing wrong with feeling relief and seeing an end in sight.

I appreciate that EA107a. Thank you

[fatherowed38k]

I dont understand what the problem is. Just because a man has a new family does not excuse him from helping to raise his other children. Honestly, why would a man have 3 more children if he could not provide for his first child. You as a mother should have seen that coming. Its my opinion that even if the custodial parent has plenty of money, the non-custodial parent does not get to walk away from his chosen debt.How would that even be fair? What if while your husband was paying his dues in prison, she struggled through college to better her life for her children...and when he was released she was earning a decent salary...would that even make sense that he wouldnt have to pay child support? The costodial parent did not create the child on her/his own. It is about responsibility, and doing the best you can to forfill your promise to that child/children.

[Pegmom3]

At 17 when I met my husband,what was I supposed to see coming? I was not a mother,but a child basically. The fact is that before I met him,he was in prison,was not capable of making an $800 per month CS payment, so his parents paid $400(what they could afford) until he got out of prison(4yrs later).Meanwhile that remainder of $400 he was not capable of paying,gained interest and surcharges,which (as explained by the judge) is not her money but the CS offices and the state of Michigan. When released from prison he had $12,000 in arrears. He is not trying to be excused from paying support,never has even when we are at the food bank receiving food to get us through the winter he STILL paid his support,he is still paying what is due (actual owed past due support) to her. The child was NEVER on state aid and neither was the mother. For the first four years of the childs life he was raised by the grandmother,not the mother,she was having too much fun "drugging" and partying,collecting the CS while not even raising the child. But I get it..my husband is a bad irresponsible parent because he is just trying to keep his head above water. If you ask me the amount while he was in prison should be due to the grandmother. Meanwhile the father is a bad man for having more children,but the mother is not a bad woman for having more children? If she was struggling to raise their child,why have more? Point is she IS getting what has always been due to her. He is not getting out of paying,just the interest and surcharges she would not collect anyway.

[Mr. Knowitall]

Nobody here suggested that either parent should have kids they can't afford.