Child support it typically determined based on a number of guidelines and a statutory formula. For Arizona parents, their incomes, health insurance, daycare costs and spousal support payments are just a few of the factors that are considered in the child support formula.
There can be changes in a parent’s life that can make it more difficult to pay child support. Often, a support agreement modification can adjust the payments to match the parents’ current lifestyles. But what happens if a parent is unable to pay child support?
Each state law differs, so keep that in mind as you continue reading. One father in the Midwest was put on probation after being brought in to court for thousands of dollars of missed child support payments. In that hearing, the judge also ordered that he would not be allowed to have more kids until the existing child support payments were made.
This may seem like an extreme decision, but the appeals court affirmed the order. The appeals court seemed to base their decision on evidence that the father made no effort to pay the existing child support. But is this type of decision a violation of the father’s rights to have more children? The appeals court says no, citing other states’ courts’ decisions about similar orders.
The story may not be over yet, though. The father’s attorney is planning to bring the case to the state’s highest court.
This father’s story is just one example of the consequences of missed child support payments. When making decisions about child support, it is best to work with someone who can make sure that the agreement makes sense for all parties involved. It is helpful to do the same when life changes impact a parent’s ability to make the payments.
Source: Fox News, “Appeals court: Asim Taylor can’t have more children until he pays child support,” Brad Dicken, May 13, 2014.