Here's my story,

I was awarded child support, but like Unique I was just glad my kids didn't have to be carted back and forth and endure all the agony of visitation. I ignored the child support order and worked overtime, several jobs, and somehow we thrived.

Then I got cancer and suddenly had to plan for my kids after my death. I prayed a lot and visualized myself as the parent of all God's children on earth. I thought of what I would do if one of my children had something that belonged to the other. I would give take it away and give it back to the one it belonged to of course. Realizing that God had given me that ability, I went through the U.S. Child Support Enforcement Office to locate my ex and start the child support process.

I discovered that my ex had moved to Dallas and had a good job so I went through the whole process to get my kids some support. All the papers were filed, but Texas would not enforce the law to collect my kids support. And I was more and more afraid I would die and there would be only a small savings account and an even smaller insurance policy for my kids. I wrote letters with documentation of my case to every government official I could find. Nothing happened.

Finally in desperation I sent the infomation with a long letter with the names of the officials who were ignoring me to the Editor of the Dallas Morning News and they published it.

Boy did that ever jump start the political process. I got letters and even a call from Senators and Representatives who had previously ignored me.

Within a month, my ex called me from JAIL. The sheriff had picked him up and was holding him there. They took him to court and he NEVER missed another child support payment. The kids saw him once so they at least knew who their father was. I recovered from the cancer, worked less overtime, and had more time with the kids.

So that's my child support story. It's a lot of work, but I think there are ways to collect.

smile

I was engaged to a guy years ago and discovered right before the wedding (thank God) that he had 2 additional children and an extra ex-wife that I didn't know about. He was paying child support, but totally neglected the children for the entire year I dated him. I called off the wedding immediately, of course. He thought I ended it because I just didn't want children in my life - wrong!- the true reason is that I couldn't be with someone who treated his kids that way. He had to be a sociopath to do that!

What is appalling to me is that women will have such a man in their lives. Don't they know that there is something seriously wrong with a man's character if he neglects his children?

Daisygirl

I believe, if each and every person... woman or man, would just treat others... how they wish to be treated, the world would be a better place.

Smile, your a strong wise soul...

Thanks, for the prayers on my brother's behalf.

Brenda, that is so true and doesn't it sound so simple?

I'm sorry I should've also included the fact that the man is given several chances to pay the support owed before they take away his driver's license.

Yes, I have also seen unfair cases in which a man is trying to do the right thing and the wife stuck it to him. In my experience though, it was the exception rather than the rule and the woman was left scrimping and trying to live from day to day. In several cases the father even refused to pay for much-needed dental care.

Bells should have gone off when my beloved ex, the abuser, told me he had never paid child support because his ex wife didn't want it nor would she accept it.

After I left him I played detective and discovered that 20 years before, he'd been arrested for exposing himself to young girls. It just made me sick. God only knows what he did to his daughters.

[ December 08, 2005, 05:34 PM: Message edited by: Dianne ]

There is an agency out there (I'm looking for the name) and will post it when found because they have a 100% perfect record for collecting current and ALL back child support...Once they go after slacker he pays and pays promptly.