The Houston Family Law Blog


Recently in Child Support Category

Greg Abbott's Child Support Division Receives Award

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Did you know that for the past three years the state of Texas has ranked number one in the nation for the total amount of child support that it collects? Perhaps this is why Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Child Support Division was given the “Outstanding Program” award from the Western Interstate Child Support Enforcement Council (WICSEC) last week.

The Cherokeean Herald reports that each year WICSEC recognizes a state, regional, county or tribal child support program with the Outstanding Program award. The award is supposed to honor a particular program that carries oust effective child support enforcement.

Mel Gibson Ordered to Pay $50,000 in Back Child Support

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We reported last month that a Los Angeles judge ordered Hollywood actor Mel Gibson to pay $20,000 per month in child support so that his ex-girlfriend can care for their daughter, Lucia. However,The New York Post recently reported that the Lethal Weapon star refused to pay the $20,000 per month because he said that $6,000 in rent money should be deducted for the total monthly amount, as the child and ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva are currently living in his Sherman Oaks home.

"Most Wanted Child Support Evader" Arrested in Hidalgo County

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According to the Sherman Denison Herald Democrat, the Attorney General's Office in Texas says that "incarceration is the only option for parents who repeatedly ignore court orders requiring them to pay child support." So, if you owe child support in the state of Texas, it's a good idea to pay the money that is owed so that you can avoid jail.

Mel Gibson Ordered to Pay $20,000 Per Month in Child Support

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The star of Lethal Weapon wanted to keep child support payments to his 11-month old daughter Lucia down to just $5,000 per month. This was the amount that Mel Gibson was paying to his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva before a Los Angeles judge upped the amount to $20,000 per month.

AHN News reports that that the Russian singer Oksana Grigorieva originally asked the courts to award her $60,000 per month. While the baby mama on her own is more wealthy than the average person, she claimed that the large amount of money is needed because Lucia needs round-the-clock security as the daughter of such a high-profile celebrity. The mother is now also more than $100,000 in debt from legal fees. Family law attorneys say that $20,000 a month is not too much money for the 40-year-old mom.

ABC News calls Howard Veal the "biggest deadbeat dad in America." The Michigan man has fathered 23 children with 14 different woman and has accumulated $533,000 in debt over child support payments.

Howard Veal was recently sentenced to up to four years in jail for failing to pay child support. While the guidelines in Michigan call for no more than six months in jail for failure to pay child support, the judge said that he deviated from such guidelines for substantial and compelling reasons.

Can a Teenage Parent Be Ordered to Pay Child Support?

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If the non-custodial parent is still a minor, he or she is still responsible for supporting the child and can still be ordered to pay child support to the custodial parent. The Child Support Division in the Office of the Attorney General states that a Texas judge can look at a teenage parent's income while he or she is still in school and decide how much child support must be paid.

August is Child Support Awareness Month

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According to the Child Support Director's Association (CSDA), August has been proclaimed Child Support Awareness Month. This means that both the federal government and various local governments around the country are raising awareness about the importance of paying child support this month.

El Paso County Officials Conduct Child Support Roundup

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It some states it's rare for a person to be arrested for not paying child support. However, Texans should watch out because simply being delinquent on child support can mean serious business. The Cherokeean Herald reported that 20 parents in El Paso County were arrested earlier this week during a sweep, which focused on parents who are the subject of arrest warrants due to not paying their court-ordered child support.

The sweep kicked off at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday when Sheriff Richard Wiles dispatched six teams of law enforcement officers to arrest the deadbeat parents before they had a chance to leave their homes for the day. When a person is arrested in Texas for failing to pay child support and goes to jail, the bail bonds posted are paid to the custodial parents and children who are owed back child support.

Church Leader Ordered to Pay $148,000 in Child Support

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A bishop of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Zion Ranch has been ordered to pay $148,000 in child support to his former wife Carolyn Jessop so that she can take care of her eight children. The San Angelo Standard-Times reports that the large sum of money comes after seven years of no child support order.

Get Help Paying Child Support Through NCP Choices Program

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If a non-custodial parent is having trouble making child support payments either because he or she is unemployed or because the parent earns a low-income, then the parent may be able to get help from the Non-custodial Parent (NCP) Choices Program in Texas.

The San Antonio Express reports that this program was implemented across the state of Texas in 2005 in hopes of helping low-income unemployed or underemployed noncustodial parents who are behind on their child support payments and whose children are current or former recipients of public assistance. The program is a collaborative effort of the attorney general's office and the Texas Workforce Commission.