Most custodial Pennsylvania parents know how important it is to receive consistent child support payments. Without them, some children might not have enough food on the table or coats sufficient enough to keep them warm during the winter months. One non-custodial father has been told by the state that he has fallen behind on his child support payments when he knows he has been on time each month.
The father, a major in the U.S. Army, has no problem in providing for his two children. He says he has never missed, nor been late, on a payment because the payments are automatically deducted from his pay check. However, he has been informed that there was a period of time that he did not pay, and he now reportedly owes $1,700, as well as late fees associated with the missed payments.
To offset what the state says the man owes, he has seen more money than usual taken out of his pay checks. The state has even taken the $700 federal tax refund he was to receive. He believes the lack of synchronization between some of his pay checks issued before the beginning of the month and the state’s application of his support payments is the problem. The state says the problem was a court order that had been altered that threw the system off during a past month. The state is working to amend the mistake.
Child support payment amounts are calculated by the court and based on a number of factors, such as income of the non-custodial parent and the particular needs of the child. Child support amounts can be changed in emergency cases or when income is reduced, but the court has to approve the change. As each state has its own regulations, those in Pennsylvania needing some assistance in receiving, paying or modifying child support may want to speak to legal professionals who understand the state’s specific laws.
Source: fox32chicago.com, “Chicago veteran warns others after error causes him to pay child support fines”, Larry Yellen, March 31, 2016
