One Texas County has just rounded up 13 individuals that had failed to pay their child support. It is believed that these individuals owed as much as $200,000 in back child support, and the county has filed charges against all of them.
One individual came to Texas from another state and could face extradition. The other suspects were released on bond. In any case, we see more and more of these types of initiatives all of the time because some parents refuse to abide by their court ordered obligations to their children.
This Texas County alone brings in close to $8 million per year in back child support through these types of sweeps. This indicates the enormity of this problem as it is likely that many more individuals owing back child support have not yet faced such arrests.
We cannot rely on county governments alone to perform this function. Family law attorneys can sometimes help in those individual circumstances where child support payments are not forthcoming. Attorneys can take other actions such as wage garnishment or the arranging of contempt orders for those in arrear of their child support payments.
Unfortunately, some parents do not understand what the purpose of child support is all about. The purpose is to make certain that the child’s physical, educational and emotional needs are met in the event two parents are not always there to take care of him or her. The best interest of the child is the ultimate concern for every family law matter where children are involved.
Source: Examiner.com, “13 Johnson county men arrested for unpaid child support,” Alaina Sullivan, June 20, 2013