My husbands ex is now 6 months behind and she only pays 126.00. She also owes us 4300.oo in court fees--which we will never see. We filed with the child support enforsement agency --we are in Oklahoma --they handle my shild support from my ex and it works great and the service is free. We have full custody and she gets supervised visitations every 2 weeks. To file contempt would cost us 500.00 and they just guarentee you judgement which don't mean crap!!! Good Luck

In my sister's situation, the guy is just bad all around, he should not even be a father, he doesn't want anything to do with them, and that is just sad. In the beginning, he filed an injuction against her in an attempt to get the kids away from her. Funny thing is, if it worked and he "won", the kids would have ended up with his Mother, NOT HIM. Because he doesn't want them, but his mother did, and talked him into this Injuction thing. They had it all planned, he had brought the kids over to him Mom's , set up a nice dinner for my sister, so that she wouldn't leave the house, and would be there when the police showed up to serve her. Nice guy huh?? Thank goodness, none of their tactics worked, and thank goodness my sister had my father to help her through two years of hell. (Which she doesn't appreciate or feel greatful for, but that is another thread). Now that he "lost" neither him nor his mother want or will have anything to do with those kids. He even tried moving to Indiana to "get away". It is just sad all around. And even after all that has happened, and believe me there is plenty more than what I am just posting here. She feels bad about him possible having to do jail time. Which he does face. There is a big possiblity that he will end up behind bars. She has already filed (or her attorney has filed) the papers to get all of this in motion.....it will just be up to him, to make things right. So, far he hasn't adheared to one court order yet, so we will see.....

I guess my question in the beginning should have been....do dead beat Dad's deserve to face jail time?? And if you have an ex that is a dead beat Dad...what are your feelings on this issue??

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I've grown certain that the root of all fear is that we've been forced to deny who we are. ~ Frances Moore Lappe

it's sad and it's hard, mostly that he would put his own flesh and blood through this, but I'm sure it will all eventually work out. I don't think going to jail is the best option but perhaps in this case it's the only option, because in jail they will most likely make him do work release and just garnish those wages for child support. I had a fellow co-worker tell me yesterday that she was cashing her very last two child support checks and I asked her why knowing that her kids are no where near the cut off and she said because her ex is moving to mexico, I then asked if her kids will still be seeing him and she said no but once more perhaps it's for the best...

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..Gavin..

I think yes they should go to jail. They can get him to pay it off. My father never paid for me and it was rough on my mom. I also felt bad for asking for anything when I was a kid. Mom needs the help and kids need the support.

My ex is behind 68,000 Its really is a tough call, I know that just because he doesnt pay does not give me the right to keep the girls from him, keep in mind he does come take the girls every other weekend, which for the last five years I have not even tried because they love him but over Christmas I was getting pretty frustrated as he finally started paying this last Aug, then quit the end of Nov. I had (which I should have known better) started counting on that money especially since Christmas was so close, I let him know that he was putting me is a finacial sprial downwards but still did nothing, needless to say I worked seventy hours a week & pulled off Christmas but did not want the girls to go as I didnt get to see them much until the day of Christmas, so I kept them with me, it was a tough call but thats the way the girls pretty much wanted it as well. I will probably always feel bad but I dont think I could have him put in jail, not that that would happen I live in one of the most laxed counties in MN. He is in contempt but he has been that way for five years nothing happens, he did lose his DL but sent in 100.00 & they gave it back. I am wondering what I am teaching my girls, some of them are older & know he doesnt pay.I wish there was some sort of intsruction manual for this. Either way I dont think I could ever keep the girls from him again, it just didnt feel right.
I wish us all luck.