Paying child support is not something that is an option. Instead, most Missouri fathers who are paying child support are in a situation where they are court-ordered to do so. With this court order is a very specific amount that is typically due every week or every month. This means that if the amount is not paid, there can be criminal repercussions.
One father recently learned this first hand after he was sentenced to serve four months of home detention and five years of probation for not paying his child support since January 2009. According to court documents, the 32-year-old father owes $14,484. He was supposed to be paying a little more than $300 a month in child support.
In addition to the consequences of home detention and probation, he must also pay back what he owes. Specifically, he was ordered to pay $15,429 in child support restitution and a $100 fee to the Victim Assistance Fund.
In general, this case goes to show how seriously the court system takes paying child support on time. This means that if there is every going to be a reason why a father is not going to be able to keep up with his payments, he needs to talk with an attorney right away in order to try and seek a modification to the court order. For just not paying, as this father did, is clearly not the best options as it can lead to serious criminal consequences, like expensive fines and jail time.
Source: Sioux City Journal, “Marathon, Iowa, man ordered to $15,429 in back child support,” Nick Hytrek, Sept. 14, 2012
