For the most part, when parents live in the same community and have a parenting plan on the books, any disputes or child support issues can be resolved relatively quickly. However, when one parent in is Pennsylvania and the other parent is in another state, any child support issues can become complicated. It can be harder to enforce support orders to even to get the other parent to appear in court.
For one parent recently featured in a news story, having her husband over 3,000 miles away has posed a legal problem when it comes to child support. The woman claims her ex-husband is behind in payments to the amount of $70,000. She says he hasn’t seen the children they share in four years. There is an arrest warrant out for him due to being behind, however, states find it hard to enforce if the other parent doesn’t cooperate or show up in the jurisdiction.
Another obstacle some parents are facing when it comes to child support payments is getting a parent who moves frequently or is not employed on a regular basis to pay a set amount. The back support can still add up even if that parent has had legal consequences inflicted on his or her life. Some of the common consequences can be wage garnishment, but if that parent isn’t gainfully employed, there may not be wages to garnish.
While child support issues can be complicated and also be a source of contention for divorced parents, the courts work to resolve the issues as best they can. For parents who are behind and fear legal consequences, there are modification options that can help that parent avoid penalties or falling further behind. There may also be a request to temporarily stop payments for Pennsylvania parents if the hardship proves to be great enough.
Source: Chicago Tribune, Child support collection challenges courts in Illinois, Lisa Black, Oct. 25, 2013
