In instances where one parent fails to provide financially for his or her children, the court may intervene to enforce child support stipulations. The parent can be responsible for any overdue payments he or she owes in addition to their current monthly fee. If the parent continues to defy court orders, possible legal consequences might include wage garnishment or even incarceration. In one state, one extreme case of a man neglecting to pay owed child support has led the court to take drastic measures.
Imposing a possible sentence of up to one year in jail, the judge in the case has ordered that the father in question abstain from having any kids until he begins to pay almost $100,000 in overdue child support for his four kids. The man already faces five years of probation for disregarding his responsibilities in the matter.
If the man begins repaying his debt, the judge’s current order will be lifted. Similar rulings are beginning to arise in other courts across the country, forcing delinquent parents to support their children before having more — or face the prospect of a jail sentence.
Cases like this reflect the unfortunate reality that many divorced or single parents fail to meet their financial responsibilities for their kids. It can take years to accumulate the amount of overdue child support payments reflected in cases like this. That implies that the care and maintenance of kids in these situations may be compromised for extended periods of time, burdening them and their primary caregivers in the process. Vigilant and proactive legal advice and representation can help to ensure child support requirements are met and enforced before anyone is placed in such a compromising situation.
Source: examiner.com, “Judge bans deadbeat dad from having more kids,” Victoria Pombeiro, Jan. 28, 2013