Punishment for not paying child support

[gapeach7400]

What is the name of your state?GA
I have a nephew (trailer trash, God love him) that doesn't pay child support. He has been arrested several times over the years, but what happens every time is that he goes to jail, scrapes together enough money to post bond. Then according to his mother (bless her heart, my simple sister) he pays about $500 toward back child support and that's the end of it until the next time.

I keep telling my sister that eventually they are going to put him in prison, but she thinks (again simple) that once the child turns 18 he will be free of the child support. I have explained that it never ends, he will always owe it, until it is paid.

My question is for the sake of my poor relatives, isn't he eventually going to go to jail/prison? He rarely works and can hardly support himself, if he went back for a modification he could probably get the support reduced, but these people are really, really "simple". Does the court take into account the fact that the NCP is just never going to be able to pay and let them slide by?

Thanks in advance for your answers. And I'm sure that I'm going to get blasted for something, but I'll take it, if I can just get one response with constructive information.

 

[ambermarie]

No, he will always have to pay it. They do not care if he can support himself or not. My father in-law just got done paying childsupport for my husband and his brother after they had turned legal adults. He had to pay it till it was taken care of. I dont know about Georgia but in some states they can actually take all of your money out of your bank account with no notice. Even if you are making payments out of your check. And of coarse there is your income tax return.

 

[gapeach7400]

No checking account or tax return

He has no checking account and does not file taxes. He is a construction worker paid cash.

I totally disagree with everything my sister and her son do. He is a healthy person who should be able to take care of himself and his children.

Will they ever put him in jail and keep him there for not paying? The reason I want to know is that maybe if I was able to tell him he will eventually serve time, maybe he would get his life together, start working regularly and supporting himself and paying child support. As long as he thinks he only has to worry about spending a couple of nights in jail every couple of years, he isn't going to change anything.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state?GA
I have a nephew (trailer trash, God love him) that doesn't pay child support. He has been arrested several times over the years, but what happens every time is that he goes to jail, scrapes together enough money to post bond. Then according to his mother (bless her heart, my simple sister) he pays about $500 toward back child support and that's the end of it until the next time.

I keep telling my sister that eventually they are going to put him in prison, but she thinks (again simple) that once the child turns 18 he will be free of the child support. I have explained that it never ends, he will always owe it, until it is paid.

My question is for the sake of my poor relatives, isn't he eventually going to go to jail/prison? He rarely works and can hardly support himself, if he went back for a modification he could probably get the support reduced, but these people are really, really "simple". Does the court take into account the fact that the NCP is just never going to be able to pay and let them slide by?

Thanks in advance for your answers. And I'm sure that I'm going to get blasted for something, but I'll take it, if I can just get one response with constructive information.

Its quite possible that eventually a judge is going to get sick enough of the situation that the judge will sentence him to something more long term than what he has faced in the past. Its also true that they are going to be going after him for the rest of his life for the debt...with interest, and its probably growing rather astromically. I doubt if his period payments even cover the interest.

Its time for somebody to be kicking your nephew in the tush to get a steady job...and start paying his support. In addition, you need to remind both him and your sister that social security retirment benefits depend on wage history. So its also in his best interest to get his act in gear, or he is going to end up being a very poor old man some day.

 

[gapeach7400]

It is sad

Thanks for your response. It is so sad really. Fortunately I got out of the hills in my late teens and got a job in an office, which is the work I've done for the last 25 years. My sister however, never left, works in a factory (finally made it up to $9.50 an hour after 9 years), lives in a run-down trailer, etc. I hate visiting her, its so depressing. But at least she has worked all these years and that horror of a trailer is paid for and she will get social security when she is old enough.

And I've thought so many times about my nephew not putting any money into social security. My sister and I have talked about it, and she is planning on leaving the "family home", i.e., trailer to my nephew so he'll always have a place to live. But I've tried to make her understand that if he isn't working, he won't have the money to pay the taxes on the place. What's really, really sad, is to see these people so poor and just too lazy or dumb to change anything. I asked my sister wouldn't she like a better life for her grand children, that she needs to stop the cycle of poverty now.

I am so frustrated with the whole situation that I'm pretty close to the point of just ending the relationship with them all. I mean they are such idiots that they won't even get off their butts and go apply for aid. They could get food stamps, possibly housing, and who knows what else.

Anyway, thanks for the response, I'll talk to my sister again, but it will probably just meet deaf ears again.