My 6 Year Old (PART 1 Since I Am Being Limited to Space.......)

Updated on November 15, 2011
L.P. asks from Meriden, CT
7 answers

Hi Moms, it has been years since I have done anything other than read questions asked or give advice where I am able. I am now turning back to you ladies for advice, suggestions.

I have been divorced for just under 6 years and my son just turned 6 a few weeks ago. I try very hard to keep him active as where the one day a week he goes with his "father" and I use that term very lloosely he sits inside and plays video games on the PS3 or ends up at Chucky Cheese...... It is though with my sons behavior and new found attitude I have to "re-train" him when he gets home every Sunday for dinner. His "father" refuses to discipline him because he doesn't want to be the bad guy... As a parent, that is the funniest and most ignorant comment that I have ever heard... Other than the small amount of child support that I get that was court ordered at the time of our divorce, he will not do anything to pay for my son... A haircut "That's mommys responsibility!" is what is told to my child... He is to pay 47% of child care and since school started, I have him in the YMCA before and after school program, he has yet to pay a dim e when I bust my butt to pay weekly so he doesn't get kicked out of the program. We had a similar issue last year and he refused to pay for about 5 months and then started paying and had a hell of a balance to pay off (over $700). His excuse is that he is broke (while working full time) and just is "working on it...." And claims that by Sunday his paycheck is gone because he spends it on his kids... (He has another child 2 yrs younger with another woman with whome he left right after that child was born as well......

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

More Answers

R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

Take him to court and if he is to pay 47% of child care and isn't I am sure the judge would be happy to make it easy for him to do and garnish his wages.

And, my understanding (at least here in CA) is that you can revisit the child support issue and if an increase is warranted it will increase, even if his paycheck is "gone by Sunday" or the fact that he has another child. (My neighbor has two older children from his first marriage, and three with his second. His current wife had to get a job because so much is taken out of his check for the older kids there wasn't enough to cover their expenses, he wasn't paying after he and she had their 3rd child and his first wife took him to court to garnish his wages. Pretty much the judge was "Too bad, so sad, get another job.")

Your ex has a financial responsibility to your son for 12 more years, whether it's h*** o* him or not.

5 moms found this helpful

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

My mom had this problem with my dad. He refused to help pay for ANYTHING and was paying a teeny itty bitty amount of child support for my brother and I. They got divorced when I was 4 and finally when I started high school we were both told we needed orthodontia. Up until then my mom just bit the bullet and paid for everything for us. My dad was supposed to pay for half of the orthodontia but he refused saying, go ahead, take me to court! My mom at this point was totally fed up and took him to court. The judge was outraged and made my dad pay 1/2 the orthodontia and all my mom's lawyer bills. Then he looked at what my dad had been paying a month and was even more pissed. He upped the child support by a LOT and made my dad make back payments. Anyway, what is the deal with so many divorced dads out there? What is their problem? So many don't want to pay for 1/2 the things their child needs. To me it seems like they have zero loyalty to their own children. They only have loyalty to whatever woman they are with. Ok, thanks for letting me rant. It was like mini therapy! ah!

5 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

Time to take him back to court again. You can't worry about his other child. I will look to your other post.

Dawn

2 moms found this helpful

G.T.

answers from Redding on

I'd just take him to court, he's ordered to pay 47%, take your books to show what he OWES, they will make him pay eventually.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.M.

answers from Portland on

My first husband, the father of my daughter, was much like this. I knew he had a great deal of "off the books" income from buying and trading gold chains, and he knew I knew, and yet he constantly pleaded that he was broke. He also withheld child support for many months after I remarried because he "refused to support my new husband." His court-ordered support was a pitifully small amount that didn't cover even a quarter of actual costs.

The only thing that worked was to have a lawyer write him a letter threatening legal consequences. Then he'd get caught up, only to start withholding again a few months later. Now I think most states have ways to follow through on dead-beat dads, probably through your attorney-general's office.

In your case, do you know what child support he actually pays for his other child? I'm wondering whether Mom #2 got a larger amount awarded. It sounds like he owes you very little. In which case, you might wish to ask a lawyer whether you could take him back to court to restructure your child support.

Good luck. This is a difficult position you're in.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.K.

answers from Phoenix on

Keep track of everything he pays and everything he owes. Don't let him off the hook. I can't figure out why fathers try to get out of this obligation. UGH!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.T.

answers from Rochester on

Sounds to me like it's time to go back to court to have his child support raised and to have the courts tell him what he is and what he is not responsible to pay for. And to have the court garnish his wages so he can't use the excuse that he is "working on it" anymore.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions