It’s just another area where the economic crisis ahs taken it’s toll: child support. As more parents take hits from layoffs, reduced benefits or cut back of hours, divorce courts have noticed more people petitioning to modify child support.
In Illinois’ Kane County, the Assistant States Attorney, Marzenia Vandeburgt, noted that a majority of the petitions to modify child support are granted in situations where the parent has lost a job and is receiving unemployement.
Here’s the catch-22: When a parent has lost their job, obviously they have their own bills to continue to pay, but should child support be what they default on? We owe it to our children to support them in a lifestyle they would have enjoyed before the divorce. Is there a legitimate argument for defaulting on child support payments, or is it just a nice option for some people when times are tough?
Share your thoughts: Do you think non-custodial parents have a legitimate reason to skip payments? Or, do you feel custodial parents are pushing for too much money when the economy is already tough enough?
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Lisbeth Tanz says 31st March @ 19:09
Debbie, I think it depends upon the situation of the paying parent and the life situation of the custodial parent. If the custodial parent can do w/o the child support, I would advocate doing a forbearance like you can w/ a student loan. If support is needed to survive, then a lower payment may be in order, but it should stop entirely. I think this is a case-by-case issue for the courts.