Child Support | Pennsylvania Family Law Blog - The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz - Part 3
New Pennsylvania Child Support Guidelines
Whether you are currently thinking about filing for divorce and children are involved, or are presently receiving or paying child support in Pennsylvania, you should be aware of the new PA child support guidelines that went into effect on May 12, 2010.
One of the main child support guideline changes relates to the increase of the Basic Monthly Child Support Schedule. According to a Main Line Media News report, the Basic Monthly Child Support Schedule, which is a chart that determines the basic child-support amount based on the parents’ combined monthly net incomes and number of children, has been altered at all income levels. Read the rest »
Free Paternity Tests Aim to Help Curb Child Support Debt
Mississippi has recently taken efforts to receive federal funding to help children. Based on a 2.wjtv.com report, Mississippi’s Department of Human Services is hoping that offering free paternity tests will motivate more potential fathers to take responsibility for helping support their children, if that responsibility is in fact theirs to uphold.
According to the report, the state’s main goal is to obtain more child support payments, which will ultimately assist Mississippi federal funding for the new fiscal year. Therefore, the Department of Human Services is providing DNA tests, which can amount to costs between $300 and $500. This initiative may even be something that Mississippi prolongs or that other states adopt to further help parents who can’t afford a paternity test. Read the rest »
Philadelphia Parents Owing Child Support Offered Arrest Pardon
Philadelphia family court is offering amnesty to the thousands of parents who have bench warrants for outstanding child support payments, according to a kyw1060.com report. The court’s administrative judge announced that beginning November 12 and ending on November 18 at 4pm, parents with outstanding bench warrants are free to come in without worrying about being arrested. Parents should note that they will still have to pay their child support debt.
Based on the article, the judge stated, “We will in fact withdraw your bench warrant and we will register you for a court hearing so that you can come back into the courthouse and meet your obligations.” This is definitely a break that parents owing child support may want to consider, especially since the court is working with Philadelphia fatherhood organizations to help fathers without jobs acquire employment training and find jobs. The opportunity to obtain long-term employment and benefits is a step in the right direction to ensure that parents receive the financial support they need to take care of their children. Read the rest »
Kate Gosselin Requests Child and Spousal Support
Supporting a family takes work, and subsequently, requires money. Parents may find this responsibility daunting when raising even just one child, let alone more than one. Such a task may become even more challenging after a divorce, or when eight children are involved. According to a seattlepi.com story, Kate Gosselin has submitted paperwork asking for child support in addition to temporary spousal support from her estranged husband, Jon Gosselin.
The Gosselin divorce has been at the forefront of family law discussion recently due to its many complexities. For instance, Kate’s lawyers claim that she is unable to pay bills due to John removing money from their joint bank account. Her attorneys stated, “She needs relief in light of the draining of substantial marital assets.” Apparently, Kate submitted petitions for child and spousal support last week at just about the same time she filed an emergency petition requesting to have a Pennsylvania judge order Jon to return the money that he took from the joint account. Reports say that these financial issues are scheduled to be addressed on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. Read the rest »
Economy Causing Parents to Request Child Support Reductions
It’s no surprise that the current condition of our economy has had drastic financial influences on a variety of aspects of many people’s lives, and, unfortunately, the lives of our children as well. When custodial and noncustodial parents’ employment becomes unstable and in some cases nonexistent, child support payments go unpaid and children suffer the consequences. According to an article, in one man’s situation, he used to have no trouble paying his $433 monthly child support; however after going unemployed and unable to get another job, the man moved in with his parents, who, in addition to offering him a place to stay, are now paying the man’s child support payments as well. This father attempted to receive a court-approved reduction in his child support payments, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
The report reasons that men are being hit harder financially than women are in this tough economy, with the 9.8 percent of men unemployed as opposed to only 7.5 percent of women. In addition, it is typically dads who are caught in the nightmare of not meeting the needs of their child support payments because men often assume the role of the noncustodial parent. Before the economic downturn, many of these noncustodial fathers were able to pay; however, with their incomes decreasing, they are no longer able to make child support payments that were previously based on higher past wages. Read the rest »
Former MLB Star Gets Probation for Skipping Child Support Payments
Former Major League Baseball star, Troy Neel, has been sentenced to five years of probation for failing to pay more than $700,000 in child support – the worst deadbeat record in Texas history. According to this Associated Press news report, a federal judge in San Antonio, Texas, sentenced the former Oakland Athletics first baseman, who could have received a maximum penalty of two years in prison. The judge spared him the prison sentence only because he would not have been able to pay child support while incarcerated. Neel was ordered to pay $779,000 in restitution. The 43-year-old Neel apparently lived in a South Pacific island resort when the $5,000 monthly payments for his two children went unpaid.
Child support payments have their purpose, but more importantly they are a significant part of a divorce agreement where one parent promises to pay the other monthly to support their children. Failure to pay child support in Pennsylvania can result in serious consequences including jail or prison time, suspension of passport or driver’s licenses, freezing of bank accounts and assets, as well as garnishing paychecks. Read the rest »
Illinois Collects Record $1.4 Billion in Unpaid Child Support
The state of Illinois has reportedly collected a record amount of child support for the fifth consecutive year, according to a news report. The department has apparently collected a record $1.38 billion for custodial parents of Illinois children during fiscal year 2009, slightly higher than last year. The department is also working to deny hunting and fishing license permits for parents who fail to pay child support. They are also working to suspend these parents’ driver’s licenses.
Pennsylvania too has very strict laws in place that make penalties for parents who fail to pay child support very severe. Any amount owed in back payments are known as “arrearages” and a parent who does not pay them can face penalties including jail time, driving license and passport suspension, bank account seizure, reporting of failure to pay to credit agencies, seizures of assets, garnishing paychecks and so on. If you need advice on how to collect child support that is owed to you or pay up child support that you owe, please consult with an experienced Pennsylvania child support attorney for legal advice and counsel. Read the rest »
Child Support Lawsuit Against Sixers’ Iguodala
According to a recent report, Andre Iguodala, Sixers basketball star, is facing a child support lawsuit by Clayanna Warthen, of South New Jersey. The female child, London, was born this year in May and Warthen is seeking temporary support of $12,000 to $15,000 a month. Often, those involved in child support disputes would prefer for matters regarding which parent pays, how much should be paid, for how long, and by what means, to all be settled out of court if possible. However, elements of child support can get complicated fast and in this case, litigation has proved necessary.
As reported by his attorney, Iguodala feels “blessed to have a healthy new daughter” and he will give her “all of the support and love she needs for a happy and full life.” Read the rest »
Pennsylvania Officials Getting Ready to Collect Outstanding Child Support
Officials in Montgomery County are cracking down on parents – deadbeat dads and moms – who owe back Pennsylvania child support payments, according to this news report. If parents don’t pay their child support arrearages by the deadline, Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies will actively go after parents who owe the money, officials say. The Sheriff’s Department says it could get ugly. Deputies won’t just contact the parents, but also their employers and basically “do whatever it takes to these people that owe child support to get them to pay it and stand up to their responsibilities.”
In Pennsylvania, failure to comply with a child support order is punishable by up to six months in jail. Those living outside of Pennsylvania who owe money can expect to be contacted by federal agents. There is about $9 million in outstanding child support payments just in Montgomery County, officials say. Read the rest »
Pennsylvania Counties Sued in Mistaken Child Support Case
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 an 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. Read the rest »
We know your problems are unique & special.
Call us, we will listen.
(610) 645-0100
Meet Attorney