Non-custodial father defaulting on their obligations to pay child support to the mothers of their biological children have been not only a social and legal problem in Minnesota for decades, but also have put a lot of strain on the state’s fiscal deficit. Stringent laws have been passed in an effort to encourage non-custodial fathers to pay their child support payments in a timely fashion. In some cases, delinquent fathers have been arrested for neglecting their child support payment responsibilities.
A criminal history with multiple arrests for defaulting on child support payments often leads to difficulties in gaining employment, which, in turn, aggravates the payor’s financial and legal problems. Some non-custodial parents often even display criminal behavior, such as theft and robbery, in an effort to get money for their child support payments.
Child support payments are not merely a financial or legal obligation that one biological parent owes to the other, but rather a fundamental right that the minor child must demand from his or her parents. The family court judge often sets the amount of child support based not only on the present wealth or income of the non-custodial parent, but also on the earning potential of the parent. Such policies have been lauded, as a non-custodial parent will be less inclined to evade child support obligations or hide his income in order to pay less child support when the ruling is fair and based on current and future earnings.
Many custodial parents consult professional and experienced attorneys to help them fight against a delinquent non-custodial parent. Attorneys may help in discovering hidden assets and income of the non-custodial parent, which can be beneficial in collecting child support payments.
Source: Bloomberg View, “When deadbeat dads can’t catch a break,” Megan McArdle, April 22, 2015
