The Supreme Court recently decided in achild support case that could prove to be costly for one negligent father. The basis behind its decision is the legal bearing that parents are not able to change a child support order in any way without getting the change approved by a court first.

When Anthony Laura lost his job two years ago, he and his ex-wife agreed to reduce his child support payments privately from $57 a month to $50. However, this agreement is now being deemed invalid because it was not agreed to before a judge. He is now liable for nearly $5,000 in back support payments as originally ordered by the court.

Laura was told about his payments owed when the state Division of Child Support Services sent him the bill. This came after his ex-wife was forced to apply for food stamps as well as other state assistance. The Supreme Court upheld a ruling from a lower court saying that the parents should have gone before a judge if they wanted to amend the child support payments.

Need help with a child support matter? Contact us to enlist assistance from a Jacksonville family law attorney.

When it comes down to it, the threat of jail time is about the only thing that will make a parent pay child support, according to Judge Mark Barcus.  It generally is not a result of "someone who has lost their job and had to pay less or behind because of it."

One mother recalls her child support story to News Channel 8 this week. Joni Quinn says that every time DHS located the fathers of her children they would quit their jobs. She has been waiting for child support for twenty years, she says, and is glad that one of the deadbeats will finally be brought to court.

John Rutledge, 59, owes $63,000 in back child support. He owes so much, in fact, that he was the first person to be placed on the DHS most wanted list seven years ago. A warrant was taken out on Rutledge in 1999.

Responsible for overseeing the case, Judge Barcus says that failure to pay isn't just about money owed to the custodial parent. It is also about the relationship that these children are not having with their other parent. Situations like teen pregnancy, teen suicide rate, and dropout rates increase for children that are stuck in families with an irresponsible parent.

Are you owed child support?  Contact us to get help from a Jacksonville family lawyer!

John Dale Rutledge did not get to enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends, but rather spent it in jail. As the first person ever to be placed on the state's most-wanted list for people who have failed to pay child support, arresting him was a victory for local law enforcement.

Rutledge supposedly owes $63,000 in back child support payments and has managed to evade being captured for 11 years. A bench warrant was finally issued for his arrest in 1999 when he failed to show up for a child support hearing in Pittsburgh County.

The DHS Child Support Services Division created its most-wanted listed in 2003 and placed Rutledge at the very top. This list encourages public support by providing information about those individuals that law enforcement are actively searching for. Because of this list, DHS has found 600 people so far.

He was finally arrested in Oklahoma City when a tip led authorities to his location.

Frustrated with the terms of your child support?  Don't wait to contact our legal team to discuss your options with a Jacksonville family law attorney.

On October 12 officers from the Sheriff's Child Enforcement Unit arrested 48 individuals who collectively owed over $475,000 in back payment of child support. The Cook County Sheriff's Department went door-to-door with the hopes of finding individuals who had outstanding warrants for their arrest; of the 48, two of the arrested were women. 

Reginald Halford, 49, of the 1800 block of S. 50th in Chicago owed the highest amount, $41, 448.55, while one of the women, Charlene Love, 34, living in the 2700 block of East 83rd street, owed $38,921.00 in back payments. Another 18 of the arrested owed more than $10,000 apiece. 

Sheriff Tom Dart explained that most of these cases involved single-parent families where the other parent was most likely struggling to create a good life for their children while the arrested parent was ".. failing in one of the most important aspects of life - taking care of your own child." 

The Child Support Unit was created two-and-a-half years ago and now supports 12 officers who drive unmarked cars. It is funded by state and federal grants and has made 986 arrests and issued over 14.500 summons to delinquent parents. 

Contact Ellerin Hutchinson if you need help from a Jacksonville family law attorney.

A major victory for the Hidalgo County sheriff's deputies came recently when they apprehended and arrested the most wantedchild support evader in their county. Having racked up more than $28,000 in child support fees, John Baldridge, 56, was discovered after an anonymous tip was given to a Texas Attorney General website. The deputies orchestrated a surveillance operation surrounding his home and, once assured of his identity, arrested Baldridge.

Currently being held at the Hidalgo County Jail, Baldridge will soon be transferred to a facility in Grayson County near Dallas where he will be serve up to 180 days. The last time Baldridge made a payment was five years ago of $22.57 despite a court order in 2001 to pay $408 per month for the care of his three children.

If you are having difficulty obtaining court ordered child custody payments from a spouse or partner, it is time to enlist a Jacksonville family law attorney to access those much-needed funds.  Contact our legal team to get help today!

In Monticello, a man from Sullivan County has been accused of being a deadbeat dad and was later arrested on a 10 year warrant for his failure to pay court ordered child support payments.

In the year 2000, a warrant for the rest of 56-year-old Joseph Johaneman was issued by the Sullivan County Family Court.  At the time the arrest warrant was issued, he owed $5,000 in delinquent child support payments.

This weekend, law enforcement officers received a tip that Johaneman was visiting relatives nearby and they went to the relatives' home to place him under arrest.  He was arraigned following his arrest and then sent to Sullivan County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail pending his scheduled court appearance, which is set to take place next Monday.

If you are having a hard time collecting child support that is due to you, contact our law office today to discuss your options with a Jacksonville family law attorney who can help you.

This week, it is reported that conductor Paul Hillier had to make an unusual detour before leading the ensemble Ars Nova Copenhagen at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival this past Friday night.  While in route to Alice Tully Hall from Copenhagen, he spent part of last week in New Jersey in jail after police arrested him for an outstanding warrant for criminal nonpayment of child support.

A newspaper reported that Mr. Hillier, who was born in England and now lives in Denmark, was indicted on August 5^th by an Oregon grand jury on four felony counts of criminal nonsupport.  He allegedly failed to make approximately $90,000 in payments for his two daughters who live in the state. 

Hillier was arrested at Newark international Airport and then taken to Essex County Jail.  The newspaper reported that the conductor had wired money to an account in the Support Enforcement Division of Oregon's Multnomah County and a deputy district attorney said that he has, "been fairly cooperative, once we got his attention."

If you are having difficulties with a child support matter in Jacksonville, contact our law office and set up a time to speak with the Jacksonville family law attorney now.

In North Carolina, it is reported that Cpl. A. E. Villalobos has little problems with tracking down people who fail to adhere to the law.  This past weekend, Villalobos and 30 other officers participated in an annual program known as Operation Child Support.  During the program, officers work tirelessly to track down fathers and mothers who are delinquent with their child support payments.

According to Villalobos, when parents are finally caught, they tell officers that "they have been paying their child support."  They tend to deny that they are behind. 

This year, police were able to put 25 people in jail who were late on their child support payments.  Officers say that the arrests added up to $74,000 in bond payments over the weekend.  Despite the many arrests that were made, Villalobos says that the department still has 400 outstanding child support warrants.

Sgt. Leonard Antonelli told news sources that delinquent child support is, "quite a large problem."  Officers plan to continue their efforts to track down parents who are not paying their monthly support amounts.

If you are owed child support and would like to speak with a Jacksonville family law attorney, now is the time to contact Ellerin Hutchinson and learn more about your options.

A new TV show is looking for parents that are owed child support payments and parents who are currently behind on support payments.

According to the producers of "Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents", there are numerous children and parents throughout the country that are suffering and victims of abandonment.  The creator of the show told reporters that the father of her children "has not paid child support in three years. I have triplets and he owes me over $45,000 in back child support and he's in Florida somewhere."   She said that the cable show is expected to air in July.

At this time, she and her team of producers are hoping that the show will do some good as many children and parents are struggling from so called "deadbeat" parents.  Right now, the only challenge is finding participants for the show.

"We would like to get five more local people in the northeastern Pennsylvania area that we could feature in a pilot we're filming July 6 in this area," said the creator.  She also said that the show will help parents get the child support payments they are owed and that her own story will be featured.

If you are having a difficult time receiving child support payments in Jacksonville, contact Ellerin & Hutchinson to consult with a Jacksonville family law attorney.

Throughout the United States, many cities are choosing to crack down on parents that are seriously behind on their child support payments.  One such city is Salem, which is located in the state of Massachusetts.

During the month of April, the Salem County Sheriff's Office cleared 46 child support warrants that involved 29 separate offenders.  Of the 29 offenders, police managed to collect $2,738 in delinquent child support payments.  The police department also managed to serve 19 warrants and 8 Superior Court Warrants.  The recent crackdown led to the arrest of 18 offenders, as well.

According to the Salem County Sheriff's Office, 8 individuals negotiated settlements for their delinquent child support payments, which was a great win for the Department's Child Support Staff.  At this time, the Child Support Staff said that it would continue to make a commitment to collecting missed child support payments so that families and children would have necessary means.

If you are owed child support and you need help recovering missed payments, now is the time to consult with a Jacksonville family lawyer at Ellerin Hutchinson.  We have immense experience handling child support cases and would welcome the opportunity to work with you once you contact us.