Sadly, there is still a lot of unpaid child support here in the United States. It is estimated that the total amount of child support debt in America is over $113 billion.
Why is unpaid child support remaining so high in the U.S.? Some argue that a big part of the problem is there being a fair number of parents that are in a situation where they simply don’t have the income and resources needed to keep current with their child support payments.
Owing a large amount of back-due child support debt can deeply impact a person. It could have long-lasting financial effects on them, expose them to jail time, expose them to major restrictions in their life and interfere with their employment situation. Some argue that these consequences, when applied to a parent who is already struggling to make enough income to pay their child support, could make it even more difficult for the parent to make their payments moving forward, thus potentially leading to a vicious cycle that could have significant implications for the parent and their family.
Why do you think there is so much child support debt in America? Do you think lack of the ability to make payments is behind many failure to pay child support incidents in the U.S.? If so, what do you think this means for what the best way to approach the child support debt issue is?
When a person who is under a child support obligation is in a financial situation that they believe could significantly impact their ability to make their payments moving forward, it can be very important for them to take proper action regarding their situation before a child support debt starts building up. There may be steps a person in such a situation could take to get their child support obligation changed to be in better alignment with their financial situation, such as requesting a child support modification. Taking proper proactive measures may be able to help a person avoid a child support debt and the severe negative consequences such a debt can carry with it. Child support attorneys can provide individuals who are worried about their ability to make their child support payments with guidance on what options they have for proactive action.
Source: Texas Public Radio, “From Deadbeat To Dead Broke: The ‘Why’ Behind Unpaid Child Support,” Jennifer Ludden, Nov. 19, 2015