Child support – often a central component in a divorce settlement – can sometimes take a surreal twist in the aftermath of a separation, especially when the media gets hold of a story like the following, which is admittedly a bit sensational.
The tale actually relates with a fair bit of logic to our immediately preceding post, which discussed a child support program in a South Carolina county that is being studied in Georgia for its possible implementation here. That program seeks to clear court dockets and better target child support delinquents by elevating well-defined “deadbeat” parents with outstanding payment obligations for investigation and prosecution.
The exploits – for lack of a better term – of a Michigan man just sentenced to a 23-48 jail term for failure to pay support would undoubtedly have catapulted him to the top of the list in South Carolina. The defendant was past due on $533,000 owed to children he fathered with various mothers. Astonishingly, the man has fathered 23 children with 14 women. The judge in his case called him “the poster child for irresponsibility.”
We cite the case not just because it is “newsy,” but also because we believe it serves to transition well to a brief discussion of child support law in Georgia. The value of the case is, arguably, in its contrastive nature; it represents the extreme and the failure of the system in a certain case. In Georgia, a parent with child support concerns and questions is well advised to contact an experienced family law attorney, who can explain the law and serve as a diligent advocate when child support is an important issue.
Georgia law in this area changed rather dramatically in 2007. A number of factors go into a child support calculation, including consideration of both parents’ income, the amount that each pays for health insurance, medical care, daycare and extracurricular activities, and other considerations.
A proven and accomplished family law attorney can provide sound counsel and strong representation in matters relating to child support calculations, modification of an existing order and related matters.
Related Resource: www.healthland.com: “Michigan Man Owes Half a Million Dollars in Child Support” October 4, 2010