Most parents in Virginia remain committed to providing for their children after divorce. In some cases, however, a parent may allow anger and resentment to color their willingness to go along with an existing child support agreement. This can create significant problems for all the parties involved, particularly the children.
Marriages end due to conflict between spouses. In many instances, divorce actually alleviates the stress and negative emotions that come with this sort of conflict and allow the ex-spouses to focus their energies on the children. However, there are situations in which one or both parents continue to antagonize each other.
As a result, a parent who is providing financial support may come to perceive that their payments are going to supporting the other parent’s lifestyle. In some cases, the parent will start making payments in violation of the divorce agreement. This can result in serious legal and financial consequences, including possible jail time, revocation of a professional license and the garnishment of wages.
Of course, there are situations in which a parent is unable to meet their child support obligations. In such cases, the parent can ask the court for a child support modification to bring payments in line with their current income. In general, a parent will usually benefit by taking the initiative to get a modification as soon as it becomes apparent that they will not be able to maintain the current payment amount.
Individuals who are considering divorce or are concerned about child support issues may benefit from speaking with a family law attorney. The lawyer could review the client’s case and make recommendations regarding issues such as child support, visitation and other family-related issues.