One important role that family law attorneys provide to clients concerns representation of parents in child support matters. The child support guidelines in Texas can be quite complex and child support matters can also be unfortunately contentious.
Since becoming Texas Attorney General some 11 years ago, Greg Abbott’s office has reportedly collected in excess of $27 billion in child support payments. In the past fiscal year, the office has collected $3.6 billion. This is the most that has been collected by any office in the nation.
While such figures are enormous, it’s difficult to know from such reporting how much more in child support payments is still out there to be collected. It can be particularly challenging to collect the correct amount of child support from a parent who is self-employed and who is also attempting to hide the amount of income he or she earns.
It’s unfortunately all too common for some parents not to step forward to pay what is owed in child support. The custodial parent is often unfairly burdened with having to make all of the payments concerning a child. This is turn can lead to other disputes between the two parents that could be avoided. Ultimately the person that may be harmed the most is the child as child support payments are designed with the best interests of the child in mind.
There are other ways to approach the child support problem than for parents to depend upon state authorities to act. Attorneys can seek enforcement of child support orders through liens and garnishments. Modifications of child support orders can also be made to make certain that orders are complied with.
It seems best if each parent work together with the other parent to help the child out.
Source: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, “$27 billion in child support collected under Abbott,” Enrique Rangel, Oct. 30, 2013
