Whether a couple who has a child is divorced or never married, when the relationship ends and the parents and child are not living together as a family, the parent who lives apart from the child is generally required to pay child support. These monthly payments may be voluntary or court-ordered, and the amount is usually determined by the non-custodial parent’s income.
Even though child support payments are supposed to be relatively affordable, many parents struggle to pay. This may be due to a worsening economy, a job loss or other factors. In other cases, a parent may simply be unwilling to pay, either because he or she doesn’t have a personal relationship with the child or is estranged from the other parent. Whatever the reason for non-payment, family courts are intent on making sure the parent pays what is owed, and failure to follow through on that obligation can result in an arrest. This is precisely what happened in the case of a music producer who ignored a Florida court order to pay child support.
Scott Storch is a multiplatinum producer who has worked with the likes of Beyonce, Dr. Dre and Christina Aguilera. He’s also well-known in some circles for his lavish spending habits. At one point he owned 15 to 20 luxury cars and a 117-foot-long boat, for example. Considering his extremely high earnings, paying the child support he owes shouldn’t be a problem. But he failed to pay anyway, and a warrant for his arrest was recently issued as a result. Storch’s attorney has said that an arrest wasn’t necessary, and that his client was fully prepared to pay the more than $28,000 he owes in back child support payments.
Even if your child support payments don’t come close to that amount, you may be struggling to afford what you owe. Rather than simply ignoring your obligations, you may benefit from talking to a family law attorney about a payment modification. If you’re a custodial parent who is owed child support, an attorney can also ensure that the proper measures are taken to enforce the order. In either situation, it’s important to remember that your child will benefit from that financial support, and it’s worth taking the necessary action.
Source: MTV.com, “Scott Storch Intends to Pay Child-Support Debt This Week,” Rob Markman, Oct. 15, 2012
- Our firm handles child support cases and a wide range of other family law issues. If you’d like more information on our practice, visit our alimony and child support page.
