Sadly, there are many parents out there in the Sarasota area and beyond who fail to make monthly payments for the care of their children. Despite the threat of jail, these people do not feel that they should have to provide financial support for children they brought into the world.
Unfortunately it is often the children that suffer because their custodial parent may be forced to work two jobs in order to make ends meet and there may not be much money left to provide extra activities for them.
One father went to great lengths to avoid paying his child support; he left the country. Listed as the most wanted deadbeat parent in the U.S., he was arrested in November 2012 after spending ten years in Thailand in order to escape arrest warrants issued for his refusal to meet his financial obligations. He recently pled guilty and has been sentenced to serve time behind bars; it is unknown how long his jail sentence was. He currently owes over $900,000 in back child support and it was not revealed whether any of that amount was reduced as a result of his guilty plea.
While this is an extreme case of child support, the U.S. Justice Department has taken a more aggressive stance on parents who don’t pay for their children. With the cost of living on a constant increase, parents who are struggling to support their children do have options when it comes to holding deadbeat parents responsible. In such cases it may be beneficial to speak with an experienced attorney.
Source: The Examiner, “Most wanted deadbeat dad gets prison for evading $1 million in child support,” Michal Conger, May 23, 2013
