• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Child support arrears

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

jaybird110

Junior Member
I live in Georgia. My ex owes over $33,000 in back child support. My child support enforcement case is a joke. I have had an open case since we separated. If I keep calling, they will take him to court about once per year. They call him to a separate room and make arrangements for him to pay a certain amount by a certain date and then he agrees to make payments plus and amount towards the arrears. The agent then goes before the judge and announces that they have made arrangements and the judge signs off on the papers. He makes the down payment (usually a couple of days past the date) and then quits paying again. It takes CSE months to begin the process again so that it is usually about an year before he goes back to court and the same thing happens again. I recently got in touch with an agent from a different branch and was told that I could file child abandonment charges against him if he went 30 days without payment. Is this true and can I file in the county that I live in or do I have to try to find out where he is living now since CSE won't give me that information? Also, he has inherited some property since we divorced. CSE was given this information 2 years ago and nothing has been done with it. (I asked!) How do I place a lien on this property myself? Thank you!
 


Gracie3787

Senior Member
I live in Georgia. My ex owes over $33,000 in back child support. My child support enforcement case is a joke. I have had an open case since we separated. If I keep calling, they will take him to court about once per year. They call him to a separate room and make arrangements for him to pay a certain amount by a certain date and then he agrees to make payments plus and amount towards the arrears. The agent then goes before the judge and announces that they have made arrangements and the judge signs off on the papers. He makes the down payment (usually a couple of days past the date) and then quits paying again. It takes CSE months to begin the process again so that it is usually about an year before he goes back to court and the same thing happens again. I recently got in touch with an agent from a different branch and was told that I could file abandonment charges against him if he went 30 days without payment. Is this true and can I file in the county that I live in or do I have to try to find out where he is living now since CSE won't give me that information? Also, he has inherited some property since we divorced. CSE was given this information 2 years ago and nothing has been done with it. (I asked!) How do I place a lien on this property myself? Thank you!
The bolded is not true.

You can file contempt on your own, when you go to court be sure to take proof of ex's assets and request the court to order liens.

I'm surprised that CSE hasn't done much, GA is one of the least tolerant agencies in the country. Is there some reason that your ex could prove that he wasn't able to pay? Is he ill, injured, or disabled? There must be some reason that the CSE isn't taking all of the steps they need to.
 

ccpirate

Junior Member
Typical

Sorry to hear of your predicament, however it is typical in my experience... I am the CO and my ex is a multi millionaire who REFUSES to pay - after 3 years they incarcerated her once for 45 days, but in 2 years since have never taken it any further... (what about the Federal Statute that allows for 6 months then 2 years - for a 1st then 2nd offense) currently she owes over 50K... neither NY or MA have any balls... they are a bucket load of civil servants protecting their desk jobs and don't get me started on the lawyers in the DA's office... is this what you went to law school for, so that you could put in your 5hrs / 5 days and ... ah what's the use.
 

jbdhayes

Junior Member
is this what you went to law school for, so that you could put in your 5hrs / 5 days and ... ah what's the use.
Sorry but I'm taking offense to that because my friend who is a paralegal puts in at least 10 hours of overtime every week and she's just the assistant. They may only put 5 hours in the office; however, 10 hours at home. My past friend's mother was an attorney and when I would come over I rarely saw her and when I did it was in her office giving us money for pizza because she was working. I know for a fact that she usually didn't sleep until 2 or 3am and then wake up at 7 for work. A law office is busy, yes, you are the client; however, your not the only one.
 

ccpirate

Junior Member
Sorry I should have been clearer in my statement "State Attorneys" is what I meant, and thought I inferred it by my comment [DA's office].

But private attorneys are no better... let's face it - the para's as you point out do the majority of the work then you get billed for the $350/hr. In my Custody/divorce proceedings I spent over $300,000 and my ex over $750,000 - drove me into bankruptcy - and I guarantee you it was the paralegals that drafted the thousands of pages over 5 years - not the attorneys. And in the end, when I ran out of money and credit cards I had to go pro se, but prevailed and now have custody... so there - did it myself!!! should have done it myself from the beginning and then would have had a nice nest egg to be able to give my son a better life today.

No of course not all attorneys are like that - there are some good ones out there that are compassionate and doing it for the right reasons (to right social ills etc) - but they are few and far between.

Sound jaded - you bet I am.
 

AHA

Senior Member
Sorry I should have been clearer in my statement "State Attorneys" is what I meant, and thought I inferred it by my comment [DA's office].

But private attorneys are no better... let's face it - the para's as you point out do the majority of the work then you get billed for the $350/hr. In my Custody/divorce proceedings I spent over $300,000 and my ex over $750,000 - drove me into bankruptcy - and I guarantee you it was the paralegals that drafted the thousands of pages over 5 years - not the attorneys. And in the end, when I ran out of money and credit cards I had to go pro se, but prevailed and now have custody... so there - did it myself!!! should have done it myself from the beginning and then would have had a nice nest egg to be able to give my son a better life today.

No of course not all attorneys are like that - there are some good ones out there that are compassionate and doing it for the right reasons (to right social ills etc) - but they are few and far between.

Sound jaded - you bet I am.
Start your own thread.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top