Each state, including Pennsylvania, has its own laws pertaining to child support payments. A man in another state is facing jail time if he does not make a payment of at least $500 toward the over $50,000 he owes in child support. The judge in the case has given him a month to come up with that payment, or he will go back to jail for 90 days.
In his younger years, the man served time in prison after a conviction on gun-related charges. In the years after his release, he became a father several times over. According to official records, he has fathered at least 15 children with 13 women. The threat of jail time for non-payment of the support he owes is allowed by the state’s Supreme Court.
Currently the man’s children are all receiving support through the state’s welfare system, meaning taxpayers are providing the support the father should be supplying. However, the state now expects reimbursement from the father and will use a paycheck garnishment system to get the money owed. The man claims this will be hard to achieve since it is difficult for him to find employment with his record. He has been working in the construction industry, but work will be scarce during the upcoming winter months. Another company has not responded about a job for which he has recently applied.
All children deserve financial and emotional support from their parents, whether the parents are together or not. It is the responsibility of both parents to ensure that support is given. Pennsylvania parents who are encountering difficulty with child support payments may want to seek assistance when negotiating terms with the state.
Source: omaha.com, “Father of 13 kids with 11 women owes $50,000 in child support“, Todd Cooper, Dec. 29, 2015
