A couple may think that verbally agreeing to a child support arrangement will be enough. But sometimes one or both parents forget the specifics of their agreement and dispute which parent should be paying how much.
Recently a U.S. Representative has been garnering public attention over a contentios divorce and accusations regarding unpaid child support. He claims that he and his wife verbally agreed to share the costs of raising their three children. She contends that he failed to pay any child support over a period of two years.
The amount in question is more than $100,000. The U.S. Rep. believes that the whole dispute is just another attempt by his ex-wife to exploit him and make him look bad. It appears that the two did have a child support agreement and that he did pay child support for two years until 2008. But it was at that point, he claims, that he and his ex-wife began relying on a verbal agreement.
The ex-wife maintains that she did not receive any support payments from 2008 through 2010. She wants the court to order him to make the payments now. She has asked for the child support amount to be increased and to suspend his driver’s license until he has paid off the amount owed.
Until the Congressman can provide evidence of payments during those two years, a monthly amount will be taken out of his income and will go towards past child support owed.
This situation shows how important a good child support agreement can be, especially when disputes arise in the future. For couples contemplating divorce, speaking with someone who understands the divorce process can help eliminate future confusion and help all parties involved transition into life after the end of a marriage.
Source: Huffington Post: “Joe Walsh Accuses Ex-Wife Of Lying About Back Child Support,” Oct. 12, 2011
