On June 20, Michigan’s Attorney General announced that he and his office have now successfully recovered $252,567,153 in child support from deadbeat parents during the past 15 years. The state’s Child Support Division was founded in 2003.
The Attorney General commented that every parent is obligated under state law to support their children the best that they can. He also volunteered that he sees it as his department’s responsibility to hold parents who are capable of paying accountable for doing so.
He notes that it’s in the best interest of Michigan’s children for his department to not tolerate a parent’s refusal to pay. He says that his Child Support Division is willing to work with non-custodial parents if they are willing to resume paying child support obligations on a regular basis.
The distance that the Attorney General is willing to go to get parents to pay their child support obligations is pretty far. His department recently tracked down a 41-year-old father who owed $95,625 in back child support to Alaska. The only reason Michigan got involved in because he formerly resided in Clare.
It’s important to note that the Michigan Attorney General’s office doesn’t become involved in every child support case. Instead, payments must be at least $7,500 in arrears for them to become involved. He wouldn’t say much more about how they find out about these delinquent debts other than to say that they receive referrals from multiple resources.
Another approach the Attorney General’s office uses to get deadbeat parents to pay their child support is to seize their tax refunds.
While it may seem unfathomable to most of us for a parent to want to get out of paying child support so badly that they would forego spending time with their son or daughter, it happens. A parent who doesn’t enjoy visitation or custody of their child isn’t absolved of paying child support, though.
Whether you’re struggling to pay child support or having difficulty collecting on it, it’s important to address your concerns long before they get out of hand. A Trenton family law and divorce attorney can point you in the right direction on steps you should take no matter what situation you find yourself in.