Enforcement During Rising Unemployment is Presenting New Challenges
Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and northern Michigan is even higher. That can be very hard for people struggling to pay bills, especially when one of those bills is child support. Several viewers emailed me to share their concerns, even though they didn't want to go on camera.
What I found out for them is the subject of tonight's Fact Finder Report.
When a husband and wife split they may have a lot of differences, but have a common responsibility for their children.
The parent who does not have full time custody pays child support, based on income. So what happens when that parent loses a job and loses income?
I spoke with Dawn Rogers, the Friend of the Court for 13th Circuit Court which covers Grand Traverse, Antrim and Leelanau Counties. She says this is a growing problem. An increasing number of parents are asking for permission to stop, or reduce how much they pay in child support because they've lost their jobs.
But Assistant Prosecutor for Grand Traverse County, Amanda Steele says there's only been a slight increase in prosecuting parents who are not meeting their child support obligations. Here's why: Steele says there has to be a history of non-payment, not just a recent change in circumstance.
And the usual methods of getting payments like garnishing wages won't work if the person is out of work. But if the court orders, the state can withhold 50-65% or all unemployment benefits for child support.
So what can you do to make sure the child's needs are still take care of? Dawn Rogers with Friend of the Court says parents should first try to work it out with each other. Maybe come up with a plan to temporarily reduce the amount. You can also file a motion in court to modify payments. Keep in mind, even if you reduce the payments now, the parent who pays child support is still responsible for the full amount and will have to make up those payments in the future.
How bad is the problem? Friend of the Court Dawn Rogers says she was at a show cause hearing, where people explain why they aren't meeting their child support obligations, and she says for the first time in eleven years, every person going before the judge was out of work. That's 30-40 people that day alone.
So more people are having a hard time paying child support because of job loss, but is there enough being done to make sure the children get the financial support they need? Even those who deal directly with these cases admit that finding a way to enforce payment is the ultimate problem.
What do you think about this? I'd like to know. Leave your comments below.
