Hello fam,
I’m in a difficult situation and could really use some advice. I’m a 33-year-old woman, and my ex-husband (also 33) has been ordered to pay child support since 2018. Initially, he was consistent with his payments for about six months, but then he quit his job. Fast forward six years, and he now owes $86,000 in back child support.
A couple of months ago, he randomly sent $200 through the child support system, but that’s the only payment I’ve received in a long time. He seems to be avoiding his financial responsibilities by doing everything in his girlfriend’s name, and he hasn’t filed taxes since the child support order was issued. He also occasionally works under the table, which he has admitted to me several times via text.
His child support obligation is $1,300 per month, but he has explicitly told me that he never intends to pay it. I’m seriously considering holding him in contempt of court, but I’m not sure what to expect from the process.
Has anyone been through something similar? What should I anticipate if I move forward with holding him in contempt? Any advice on how to best prepare for this? I’m feelin’ pretty overwhelmed and could really use some gud guidance.
…Mmmmmhhh …I think you should totally file an anonymous complaint with the IRS about him not paying his taxes.
What a complete loser, seriously. Total bottom feeder. I wish the court could just deport him and bring in a hardworking immigrant to take his place.
let me tell you, you can’t force a guy to pay support if he’s really not into it, but a good lawyer might be able to go after his girlfriend since she’s helping him dodge responsibilities. It might be trickier since they’re not married, though.
In the end, he’s the one who’s really going to lose out. Working under the table means he’s not paying into Social Security, so when the time comes, he won’t be able to collect much. At best, he might get SSI, which is like $950 a month.
My ex was the same way. He didn’t pay for years, but eventually, all the girlfriends got tired of supporting him, and I finally started seeing garnishment money.
And let’s just say, a well-timed call about driving on a suspended license might’ve sped things up a bit. 
Push DCSS to file the contempt charges. Don’t try doing it without a lawyer.
DCSS might say they don’t handle these cases anymore—some counties have ditched their contempt units. But keep pushing.
Just don’t file it yourself. Contempt actions are semi-criminal, and in a lot of places, the person you’re going after might get a defense attorney. If there’s any mistake in your paperwork or service, a good defense lawyer will get their client sworn in, so jeopardy attaches, wreck your case, and you’ll be out of options.
Seriously, none.
Plus, the paperwork is complicated. You can only go back 35 months and get a court trial. At 36 months, they’re looking at possible jail time, so they’re entitled to a jury trial, which is expensive and time-consuming.
Get a lawyer. Contempt actions aren’t something you want to handle on your own.
If all else fails, report him to the IRS for dodging taxes. He’s admitted it in texts, right? I’m guessing you still have those.
And if he’s running everything through his girlfriend’s account, could she be considered an accomplice for helping him dodge child support? She better hope she never gets pregnant by him.
They already have a kid together. I always wondered why she’d get involved with him, especially since she already has a kid with another guy who’s totally out of the picture. It must suck dealing with one absent father only to end up with another guy who does the same to his own kid. I’ve been thinking about going the IRS route for a while now—he hasn’t filed taxes since he was ordered to pay child support. 
Hopefully, this gives them the nudge they needed to get things done. Best of luck 
Is she helping him with tax evasion by running his under-the-table cash through her account? Mos def if you ask me.
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I figured that was the case. She should definitely give the IRS a heads-up about both of them. 
Yeah, how dare someone make a total jerk pay his fair share to the society he benefits from? And why should the dad have to face his responsibilities? I mean, isn’t that what freedom is all about? @KnightJones You should just delete your account.