Pennsylvania Family Law Blog

PittsburghLive.com reports that Allegheny County is offering parents owing back child support that have warrants out for their arrest a chance at amnesty. It is the second time in four years that the county has taken such action.

According to the article, parents that have active bench warrants relating to child support cases will be able to appear in court to address the problem without being afraid they could be arrested or incarcerated. “We’re just trying to collect child support. We really don’t have an interest in putting people in jail. We want to get people on the right track,” said the deputy court administrator for the adult section of family division. Approximately 1,900 letters were sent to the last known addresses of parents that owe child support notifying them of the program. For the past four months, deputies from the sheriff’s department have also been leaving blue cards at the last known addresses of people owing back child support. The sheriff has said people have been coming forward to resolve their problems.

In 2007, when the family court first offered an amnesty program, 756 defendants came to resolve issues relating to child support. About $134,000 in back child support was collected by court officials.

To learn whether you are eligible for this program, call 412-350-5600.

During the divorce process, some of the most challenged and difficult issues tend to involve child support. Unfortunately, one parent often ends up not making their child support payments, or a parent may be required to pay child support even though they shouldn’t be. Regardless of what county you reside in, if you are having difficulty with issues relating to child support, you may find it beneficial to consult with a Pennsylvania child support attorney to learn more about the legal options available to you, based upon the specifics of your circumstances.

At The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz, our lawyers have experience in dealing with the complexities of divorce laws in Pennsylvania. We help families recover the child support to which they are legally entitled, assist couples needing to implement a child support contract, and help parents that have not paid child support in a while. No matter your situation, we understand your problems are special and unique. Call our law offices at 610-645-0100. We will listen.

A Philadelphia man, who was forced to pay child support for another man’s daughter and went to jail for falling behind on those payments, is suing two Pennsylvania counties alleging that officials changed his personal identifying information to make him appear to be the child’s father. According to this Associated Press news report, Walter Andre Sharpe Jr. names Dauphin and Montgomery counties in the federal lawsuit filed in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Sharpe is seeking unspecified damages. He apparently spent more than a year in jail in Dauphin County where the girl’s mother lived. Sharpe has also been denied reimbursement for the $12,000 he has paid so far in child support – for a child that apparently wasn’t his own.

This is no doubt a shocking story. It’s hard enough in these tough economic times to make Pennsylvania child support payments to support your own children, but to be forced to pay money to a child who is not your own is simply appalling. The DA apparently decided against filing criminal charges against county officials after an investigation. It seems terribly unjust to Sharpe who was not even given his money back.

Such situations can be extremely tough because skipping child support payments is an extremely serious issue, as it should be. There are many Pennsylvania deadbeat dads who fall back on or don’t pay child support. While those dads should be held accountable, what happened in this case is unreasonable and wrong.

If you are involved in a child support case in Pennsylvania – whether you want to make your payments or have payments made by the parent of your child- please call the Law Office of Sheryl R. Rentz to find out how we can help you with your particular situation. Call experienced Philadelphia child support lawyer Sheryl R. Rentz today at 610-645-0100 for a free consultation. We will remain on your side and fight to protect your legal rights.