Child support and a parent’s ability to pay

by | Jun 6, 2018 | family law, Firm News

Recently a national news story may have reached the homes of Dublin residents that concerned a lawsuit between a man and his parents regarding his eviction from their home. The man is 30-years-old and had been living with his parents due to his allegedly impoverished financial situation. This individual is also a father and allegedly had been responsible for paying child support to his ex-partner on behalf of his 8-year-old son.

At the time he was kicked out of his parents’ home, the man was paying $25 a week in child support. However, it was later shown that the man had paid, over time, around $10,000 to a storage facility to house his vehicles. His ex-partner has since argued that the man had a higher capacity to pay support for their shared child and now the man is responsible for paying $56 per week in child support. The man also allegedly owes his son around $2,500 in unpaid support.

This unusual family drama brings to light the very complicated nature of family finances and a parent’s ability to pay for the support of their children. When a parent cannot pay child support due to a lost job or other extreme situation, a court may modify the requirement to meet the parent’s capacity to pay. However, in this case, it appears the man did nothing to seek employment and prioritized other expenses over supporting his son.

Building a case for child support or for increasing child support can be tricky and most individuals prefer to undertake these legal fights with the help of family law attorneys. Doing so may help parents get their kids the financial help they need from non-custodial parents.

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