Hello everyone,
I'm glad to see this forum here. I sincerely hope this isn't a redundant posting. I am at wit's end concerning my child support payments. First, a little background....
I was married for four tough years and tried to finalize the divorce for 4 more. Finally, after brutal custody battles, injunctions, and so forth we finally sealed the deal on May 22, 2004. Stupidly, in the divorce decree I signed off on a monthly payment of 950 dollars instead of using a percentage of my income (which is 32% for 2 children in Tennessee.) 950 was 32% of the income I had as an exec. chef at a business club, the position I held at the time of the divorce. In the ensuing year I lost my job and haven't been able to find another one that will allow me to pay my portion of support and have a decent living. I resorted to all kinds of employment just to make the payments--which I did religiously. Being a chef for 13 years it was rather demoraling to work at the mall and deliver pizzas just to keep the cs monkey off my back. Hey, I do what I have to for my kids. Although I got very depressed and, clinically so, and had to leave town to land a job that would afford me a decent living and the ability to pay child support I did it. My relationship fell apart, my career, my life because of this. I left my kids--who I told I would never leave---in Memphis with their mother and FedEx engineer husband. Financially, they're doing well: brand new 4 bedroom in the country, new car, four kids, etc. I'm living in cheap hotel rooms eating potatoes and cereal. Now I'm here in Missoula, Montana, my boss well belly up and I unable to pay the support for the last half of last month and this month. I can't keep living like this. I need some relief. I desperately want to take care of my children but I'm wondering how I can get my support lowered. I've got all of the documentation that will support my claims of consitency in payments, etc. I have put a lot of CS on my credit card and now I'm sinking in debt there too. The ex's husband called me last week and told me that if I don't get my .... together they are going to go to court (which I think is a great idea.) This is not a letter written by a dead beat dad trying to get out of CS. I'm just at wits end and I'm about to fall apart. WHAT IS MY RECOURSE?
Thank you so much in advance...Spencer.

