The vast majority of parents in Virginia and other areas of the country are committed to ensuring that the best interests of their children are met. This includes meeting their emotional and physical needs. To ensure that this happens, once a couple is no longer in a romantic relationship, one parent often agrees — or is ordered — to pay child support. Unfortunately, some people may struggle to do so, resulting in serious ramifications.
In fact, a man in another state was recently sentenced to jail. He was prosecuted because he had allegedly fallen behind in child support. The 37-year-old man reportedly owed $18,700 in Dec. 2014. That amount had increased to more than $20,000 by 2017.
Reports indicate that the man was sentenced to 95 days in jail in 2017. However, a judge recently ordered him to jail for eight months due to a probation violation. It is unclear what the probation violation was.
Unfortunately, there are many parents in Virginia and across the country who desperately want to meet the needs of their children but find themselves struggling to make court-ordered child support payments . Having an experienced attorney help when an initial agreement is put into place can ensure a fair agreement. If a significant change of circumstances occurs later preventing the parent’s ability to pay child support, the parent can request a modification. Failing to pay support without such a request can ultimately have serious consequences, even imprisonment, as this case demonstrates. Taking preventative actions can help reduce the impact of future consequences.
