Washington, DC asked in Family Law, Child Custody and Child Support for Maryland

Q: My son's father owes over $12,000 in child support and refuse to pay. He closed all his bank accounts and quit his jobs.

He started working under the table, moved so I cannot find his address, and has Virginia license tags. He has social media showing that he is working and stated in text messages that he is working his own business under the table. He gets him during the summer, and I get to see him during my birthday week. I want to change the court order since he refuses to let me see him during the summer like he is supposed to and cuts his phone off, so we have no communication. He finds it funny and says it's nothing they can force him to do. What can be done because it looks like he is getting away with not paying or following the court order for over two years. All we keep doing is going to court for contempt.

1 Lawyer Answer
Elizabeth Pugliese
Elizabeth Pugliese
Answered
  • Divorce Lawyer
  • Rockville, MD
  • Licensed in Maryland

A: You need to file contempt. Deliberate failure to follow a court order could cause a judge to hold him in contempt. Contempt is to secure future compliance with an order -- so yes, the court can actually make him follow it. Or face severe consequences up to and including jail.

For the custody part, you can also file to modify custody. This is to change the custody arrangement when something happens to make it unworkable -- such as not following the arrangement.

You should speak to a lawyer to explore your options.

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