Judge orders man to stop having children until child support paid

Spokane residents who have a child support order in place know how critical each monthly payment can be. For many families, the payment can mean the difference between being financially stable and financially strained. Delinquent parents who fail to make payments or frequently miss payments create a lot of stress on a parent with physical child custody, and in some cases, can place a burden on state resources.

Offenders in court for missed or unpaid child support are not an unfamiliar site to most family law judges. However, a recent judge has ordered a rather unusual sentence. The judge ordered a man to stop having children until he can catch up and repay past due child support payments. The man was also instructed that anytime he meets a woman, he has to divulge his status as a convicted felon who has unpaid child support within three minutes of meeting her. The man pled guilty to felony charges stemming from his failure in 2011 to pay child support for over 120 days.

This is not the first unorthodox instruction from a judge on the subject matter. Recently another judge ordered a man to forgo having a tenth child until he reached a point in his life where he could afford to properly take care of his nine other children.

In most cases, parents who have physical custody of their children are given child support through a court order requiring the other parent to pay a certain amount each month, which helps to financially support the child. Guidelines for child support may vary between states, but typically payments are determined by calculating the income of the parties involved. If child support is not being paid even after a court order, a parent can seek the help of a district attorney and other agencies in order to enforce consequences and penalties on a delinquent parent.

Child support payments are very important in the wellbeing of a child. Every child deserves to be brought up in a stable environment and should not be in need due to the poor choices of one parent. For parents who are having trouble collecting payments, an attorney may be able to evaluate the case and help them seek back payments to ensure future financial stability.

Source: Journal Sentinel Online, “Wisconsin man in child support case ordered not to have more children,” Jan. 17, 2013