With the economic issues the U.S. is facing, it is not surprising that
Fort Lauderdale residents, too, are facing tough times and are struggling to make ends meet. The foreclosure crisis and the high unemployment rate have had detrimental effects on the country and Florida is no exception. Not surprisingly, these economic issues have been reflected in other ways. Many single parents in
Fort Lauderdale and other parts of the state have faced increasing difficulty making
child support payments, and custodial parents are finding themselves in need of the services of a
child support lawyer to ensure that their childrens financial needs are protected.
The U.S. Census Bureau released a report this month that showed for the year 2009, custodial parents throughout the country received only 61 percent of the
child support that they were owed. Fewer parents received
child support than from earlier years. The report also revealed that poverty rates throughout the U.S. have risen among custodial and non-custodial parents. Custodial parents were overwhelmingly mothers (82 percent) and one in six custodial parents were fathers.
Only 41 percent of custodial parents received the full amount of
child support that they were owed in 2009. This number has dropped nearly five percent since 2007 and is expected to continue to drop until the economy improves. The poverty level of divorced parents has also risen by roughly five percent since 2007. This is a double-edged sword. The families who are relying the most on
child support are also the families who are the least likely to receive the support that they are owed.
The custodial parents and their children are not the only ones suffering as a result of economic hardship. Inability to pay
child support as the result of job loss or other economic factors leads to possible harassment from bill collectors and legal repercussions. There are social consequences as well, such as being labeled a deadbeat parent. Regardless, childcare will always be expensive, perhaps especially so in
Fort Lauderdale, and children are a responsibility that parents must not shirk. This report does not offer any solutions to the problem of insufficient child support payment. However, it does paint a sobering picture of economic hardship in this country and serves as a reminder that the struggles of single parenthood are widespread.
Parents who are encountering difficulty making
child support payments as a result of involuntary loss of income or other changes in financial circumstances can work with a
Fort Lauderdale child support lawyer to seek
child support modification, which can reduce the amount of payment the non-custodial parent is obligated to pay. It is important to keep in mind, however, that voluntary unemployment (quitting ones job) cannot be used as justification for a reduction in
child support. Seasonal employment is also generally not taken into account. Both parents have the legal right to seek modification of child support, which means that the custodial parent can also seek an increase in
child support payment by filing a Petition to Modify through a
child support lawyer in Fort Lauderdale.
