It’s hard to scan a Pennsylvania newspaper these days without reading at least one story about someone owing child support. From celebrities to lottery winners, articles about parents owing back child support abound. A recent story of interest involves a lottery winner that won $338 million.
The man, who had a warrant out for his arrest, has since paid $30,000 to the woman that is the mother of three of his five children. He owed a total of $29,000 so it was unknown if he overpaid by paying the $30,000 or if there were additional monies that needed to be collected. It was noted that his oldest child is 23 and all five of the children now live with him.
While the odds of winning an amount this large are rather slim, it was noted that anyone that wins more than $600 will be investigated to see if they have certain outstanding debts such as child support, taxes or public liens. If so, the amounts due are typically deducted from the winnings prior to payment. Having won well over $300 million, the father was likely happy to catch up with the comparatively amount that had fallen in arrears.
Any Pennsylvania parent facing a child support issue, whether it be for noncompliance with a court order or for not receiving a payment that is due may benefit from gaining an understanding of their rights and responsibilities under the law. Hopefully, if a parent is able to take a proactive approach, any ordered payments will be made, and the funds can be applied toward the health and well being of any children involved. On the other hand, if circumstances have changed, an individual subject to a child support order may petition a court for a downward modification of future payments in accordance with their diminished financial capacity.
Source: kdvr.com, “Powerball winner pays $30,000 in back child support,” May 15, 2013
