Q: Can I waive the back child support owed to me in order to negotiate visitation arrangements?
My ex (never married) owes $10k in back child support and the Ohio CSEA has done nothing to enforce it except for when I alert them that he missed multiple payments, then they will issue a warning letter and magically I'll get a small sum but its a repeating cycle. We just established a custody/ visitation schedule in 2018 where he has her about 40% of the year. Since this agreement my 14yr daughter has become very depressed and has expressed a lot of concerning details about his house now that she's over there more. She just started seeing a therapist but I'm worried about how they're own mental health is affecting hers. She told me that she found a "joint" and an unknown white powder substance that was chopped into lines and a straw besides it. She also says they act "bitchy", drink alcohol and fight a lot. I'm concerned that their substance abuse and their own mental illnesses are affecting her. Can I use the back child support to negotiate less time with her? What do you recommend?
A: If he knows that you could file a motion with the court asking to have him held in contempt for failure to pay, then perhaps he will agree to a change in custody. Use the Find a Lawyer tab to retain a local family law attorney to review the situation and advise you.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
