Judge leaves Man $58 to live on, tells him: "You can afford it, figure it out."

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GlennSacks.com » Blog Archive » Family Attorney Marsha Freeman: 'The System is Broken'

John Nelson went from six-figure-earning software exectutive to unemployed overnight. But his $2,200 child support payment didn't change that quickly. It took a year for him to get a hearing, and when he finally did, the judge increased his obligation. By that time he had gotten a job as a science teacher, but the newly-upped child support obligation meant that he took home a grand total of $58 per week. Read about it here (WFTV, 11/9/09).

The judge, Julian Piggotte's attitude was "you can afford it; figure it out." Then she discovered that she had a conflict of interest in Nelson's case and withdrew.

His ex-wife sees the situation this way:

"Our lives go on. The kids still have lunches, they still go to school, and they still have field trips."

That's true. And if she and John were still together, the kids would need to be fed and go to school, but their standard of living would drop along with that of their parents. That's what happens when parents lose their jobs - parents and children live on less. They all manage the best they can. It's one of the sometimes-harsh realities of daily life.

Only if the parents are divorced does the concept arise that the children's lives must in no way change due to a parent's loss of income. It's as if Judge Piggotte lives in a fantasy world in which children must and do remain unaffected when their father loses his job. Indeed, it's the same fantasy world in which an adult can live on $58 per week.

Nelson's case is like countless others these days. Some 80% of job losses have been suffered by men in the last year or so. A lot of those guys are fathers, some of them divorced. That means they have to file for a modification of their support orders

It's another strange aspect of the whole matter that, if Nelson's wife had wanted a temporary restraining order against him, she could have gotten a hearing and had an order issued in a matter of hours. But when he loses his job and needs to reduce his child support to reflect what he can actually pay, it takes over a year.

Thoughts?

Further evidence that the Child Support system is broken?
 
Fuck that. The kids are his, he can figure it out. I'm raising 4 (it doesn't stop when they turn 18) and the pittance I get in child support is a joke. Heat alone is $200 a month....so 2/3 of that is theirs, and 1/2 of that should by rights be his. Add that to their portion of the rent, and guess what? I don't get anywhere near what I spend on them.

And that's just the second set. The first set, I've receive a grand total (over 24 years) of $5,200. Woo fucking hoo. We spent that much on one broken arm, 13 years ago.
 
Fuck that. The kids are his, he can figure it out. I'm raising 4 (it doesn't stop when they turn 18) and the pittance I get in child support is a joke.
The first set, I've receive a grand total (over 24 years) of $5,200. Woo fucking hoo. We spent that much on one broken arm, 13 years ago.
Then perhaps the other party, the one sending child support, should have custody of the children?
 
GlennSacks.com » Blog Archive » Family Attorney Marsha Freeman: 'The System is Broken'

John Nelson went from six-figure-earning software exectutive to unemployed overnight. But his $2,200 child support payment didn't change that quickly. It took a year for him to get a hearing, and when he finally did, the judge increased his obligation. By that time he had gotten a job as a science teacher, but the newly-upped child support obligation meant that he took home a grand total of $58 per week. Read about it here (WFTV, 11/9/09).

The judge, Julian Piggotte's attitude was "you can afford it; figure it out." Then she discovered that she had a conflict of interest in Nelson's case and withdrew.

His ex-wife sees the situation this way:

"Our lives go on. The kids still have lunches, they still go to school, and they still have field trips."

That's true. And if she and John were still together, the kids would need to be fed and go to school, but their standard of living would drop along with that of their parents. That's what happens when parents lose their jobs - parents and children live on less. They all manage the best they can. It's one of the sometimes-harsh realities of daily life.

Only if the parents are divorced does the concept arise that the children's lives must in no way change due to a parent's loss of income. It's as if Judge Piggotte lives in a fantasy world in which children must and do remain unaffected when their father loses his job. Indeed, it's the same fantasy world in which an adult can live on $58 per week.

Nelson's case is like countless others these days. Some 80% of job losses have been suffered by men in the last year or so. A lot of those guys are fathers, some of them divorced. That means they have to file for a modification of their support orders

It's another strange aspect of the whole matter that, if Nelson's wife had wanted a temporary restraining order against him, she could have gotten a hearing and had an order issued in a matter of hours. But when he loses his job and needs to reduce his child support to reflect what he can actually pay, it takes over a year.

Thoughts?

Further evidence that the Child Support system is broken?

That is not right.

I think that it is unreasonable to take more than 30% of anyones after tax income for child support.
 
That is not right.

I think that it is unreasonable to take more than 30% of anyones after tax income for child support.

What I find amazing is how much the guy in general gets the shaft because of the reputation of some guys being deadbeat.
 
i disagree....a man goes on having children..then he is expected to support them

And a man is expected to support them, even if they're not his and the couple has long been broken up. Unless of course, he finds out the wife/girlfriend was a cheating bitch in the first two years and can prove it in court.

Man Pays $12,000 in Support, Finds Out Child Not His - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Philadelphia man was forced to pay more than $12,000 in child support for another man's daughter and spent two years in jail for falling behind on payments

Florida man owes $10,000 for child who's not his - CNN.com
 
I had very sporadic child support (it was supposed to be $100/month), so I had to adjust my living to be able to live on my salary only. Child support was used for extras when and if I received it. You can't depend on it and you shouldn't include it in your budget when you are purchasing a house or anything else.
 
That is not right.

I think that it is unreasonable to take more than 30% of anyones after tax income for child support.

What I find amazing is how much the guy in general gets the shaft because of the reputation of some guys being deadbeat.

Some guys really are deadbeats. And some get the shaft. But I agree, the system is screwed up and somebody always gets screwed in the end. Who gets bent over depends on the lawyers, the judge and the state where it's decided - and the state where it's enforced, if the noncustodial parent lives elsewhere. Everyone has a horror story. Hell of a way to run a railroad.
 
Some guys really are deadbeats. And some get the shaft. But I agree, the system is screwed up and somebody always gets screwed in the end. Who gets bent over depends on the lawyers, the judge and the state where it's decided - and the state where it's enforced, if the noncustodial parent lives elsewhere. Everyone has a horror story. Hell of a way to run a railroad.

Except nine times out of ten, the mother will get custody. Unless the mother is literally the worst parent on earth, she will get custody the majority of the time.

But I do agree with a lot of what you said.
 
I've been through this. Ex-wife dragged me into court claiming destitution, got $1,100 per month. Within a year, bought a brand new car, new house, new clothes, went to Disneyworld.. TWICE and reduced her hours at work.

Lovely.. but guess what.... kids are grown... CS has ended.. and now she can't pay her mortgage...

HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!
 
GlennSacks.com » Blog Archive » Family Attorney Marsha Freeman: 'The System is Broken'

John Nelson went from six-figure-earning software exectutive to unemployed overnight. But his $2,200 child support payment didn't change that quickly. It took a year for him to get a hearing, and when he finally did, the judge increased his obligation. By that time he had gotten a job as a science teacher, but the newly-upped child support obligation meant that he took home a grand total of $58 per week. Read about it here (WFTV, 11/9/09).

The judge, Julian Piggotte's attitude was "you can afford it; figure it out." Then she discovered that she had a conflict of interest in Nelson's case and withdrew.

His ex-wife sees the situation this way:

"Our lives go on. The kids still have lunches, they still go to school, and they still have field trips."

That's true. And if she and John were still together, the kids would need to be fed and go to school, but their standard of living would drop along with that of their parents. That's what happens when parents lose their jobs - parents and children live on less. They all manage the best they can. It's one of the sometimes-harsh realities of daily life.

Only if the parents are divorced does the concept arise that the children's lives must in no way change due to a parent's loss of income. It's as if Judge Piggotte lives in a fantasy world in which children must and do remain unaffected when their father loses his job. Indeed, it's the same fantasy world in which an adult can live on $58 per week.

Nelson's case is like countless others these days. Some 80% of job losses have been suffered by men in the last year or so. A lot of those guys are fathers, some of them divorced. That means they have to file for a modification of their support orders

It's another strange aspect of the whole matter that, if Nelson's wife had wanted a temporary restraining order against him, she could have gotten a hearing and had an order issued in a matter of hours. But when he loses his job and needs to reduce his child support to reflect what he can actually pay, it takes over a year.

Thoughts?

Further evidence that the Child Support system is broken?

you don't believe in survival of the fittest?
 
My buddy's ex got the kids.. and she was a drug addict and an alcoholic. Only when she killed herself did the judge finally see the light.
 

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