Spousal Support

[pollyrogers]

What is the name of your state? Oklahoma, Is there some sort of a solution for making sure that an income assingment follows the exspouse? Mine exhusband has quit or his companies has been bought out 5 times in the last 4 years, and of course everytime I cannot count on him meeting his obligations with the support payments. I already have to work two jobs to make ends meet with the spousal support, I do still have a daughter at home going to college, so I am not just supporting myself. I do have an income assignment court ordered, but he keeps his employer a secert, and his new wife stays between my exhusband and me, so there isn't any real comunnication. Is there some way to go after him the way they go after dead beat dads? The reason I stay at the two jobs is that my 40 hour a week job is with a private University I am using the free tution benifit I recieve as an employee here. Unfortunately the benifit does not put gas in my gas tank and food on my table, or pay the electric bill. My daughter is ready to change colleges to a community college and pay it herself so that I can get a job where I can make what it is taking me working two jobs takes. Does this all make since?

 

[tuffbrk]

Child support and alimony are 2 different issues. If the issue is the support of your child is draining your income, you should have child support re-evaluated - presuming your Ex is Dad and is paying support that is.

As for alimony - all you can do is file for contempt.

 

[nextwife]

What is the name of your state? Oklahoma, Is there some sort of a solution for making sure that an income assingment follows the exspouse? Mine exhusband has quit or his companies has been bought out 5 times in the last 4 years, and of course everytime I cannot count on him meeting his obligations with the support payments. I already have to work two jobs to make ends meet with the spousal support, I do still have a daughter at home going to college, so I am not just supporting myself. I do have an income assignment court ordered, but he keeps his employer a secert, and his new wife stays between my exhusband and me, so there isn't any real comunnication. Is there some way to go after him the way they go after dead beat dads? The reason I stay at the two jobs is that my 40 hour a week job is with a private University I am using the free tution benifit I recieve as an employee here. Unfortunately the benifit does not put gas in my gas tank and food on my table, or pay the electric bill. My daughter is ready to change colleges to a community college and pay it herself so that I can get a job where I can make what it is taking me working two jobs takes. Does this all make since?

You are draining YOUR income to pay for your adult child's education? Or are you underemployed to get free tuition for adult daughter, or both?

As stated, you can file contempt on the SS. BTW - not supporting YOU does not, in itself, make him a dead beat parent. Does he owe child support?

 

[candg918]

I believe I can help explain the situation and make several suggestions.

There are private universities in OK that do provided a tuition benefit of full tuition (not fees or living expenses) as an employee benefit. This could be worth up to $20,000/year. This is not taxable when it is used for undergraduate study. A person must work at the university for a period of time before he can make use of the benefit.

The salary scale for jobs at the university is somewhat less than in industry (probably comparable to local government wage scales). In general the generous benefit makes it possible for the universities to attract and retain more highly qualified individuals than might be possible given the salary scales.

I suggest that the daughter and mother look into sudent and PLUS loans as the tuition benefit does not prevent them from using these. I know several years ago, a staff member's child (single mother with no father in picture and other child needing support) receiving the benefit qualified for PELL grant as well as Stafford Loans. The financial aid office will need to do the calculations; the tuition benefit looks like a scholarship against the total educational cost which includes living espenses, books and fees for the student. The mother (and father) will need to complete the FAFSA. Students for low income families may qualify for other assistance even though the tuition is fully paid. It is also required to go through the process for work-study on campus.

I believe Mom will find that with the tuition benefit, the cost of education at the university is less than at the community college especially if she considers net after taxes for an industry job until her daughter graduates.