Question About Child Support in TN

[rhojdes]

A single woman, age 31 has been paying $250 per month child support to the paternal grandmother of her child. The grandmother is raising him but the mother of the child did not give him up for adoption. The child's father has been in prison and he doesn't pay anything, but he is out now and still doesn't pay. This single woman has bipolar and has not held a job over three months at a time for the past 3 years. Her mother and her paternal grandmother have been paying this monthly $250.00 support. They are not able to continue this payment.

The mother of the child spent two months (July and August) in jail for not paying some fees. She received a letter from the Court stating she has to pay this back Child Support plus the month of September, a Total of $750 by the 10th or 12th of September and if she doesn't they will take her Driver's License. This doesn't seem right. She is trying to find a job and she needs the Driver's License to drive the car her mother purchased for her so she can find a job. Is there anything the mother can do to stop this and lower the Child Support? Thank You.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[Proserpina]

A single woman, age 31 has been paying $250 per month child support to the paternal grandmother of her child. The grandmother is raising him but the mother of the child did not give him up for adoption. The child's father has been in prison and he doesn't pay anything, but he is out now and still doesn't pay. This single woman has bipolar and has not held a job over three months at a time for the past 3 years. Her mother and her paternal grandmother have been paying this monthly $250.00 support. They are not able to continue this payment.

The mother of the child spent two months (July and August) in jail for not paying some fees. She received a letter from the Court stating she has to pay this back Child Support plus the month of September, a Total of $750 by the 10th or 12th of September and if she doesn't they will take her Driver's License. This doesn't seem right. She is trying to find a job and she needs the Driver's License to drive the car her mother purchased for her so she can find a job. Is there anything the mother can do to stop this and lower the Child Support? Thank You.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Mom needs to support her child.

If she cannot work consistently because of her bipolar, she needs to file for disability.

Otherwise, the State is going to do whatever it takes to get her to pay what she owes.

She can also try to get a downward modification to adjust the current amount although that's not going to help with the arrears. It looks like she's been imputed full time min. wage given the amount she's currently ordered to pay, so I can't honestly see them lowering it much further.

 

[nextwife]

If mom can't drive, perhaps she can use mass transit, or cycle to work. I commute by bike, and I'm WAY older than she is (by 25 years).