On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Support on Friday, February 21, 2014.
Many Illinois fathers are obligated to pay child support to their former partners, often based on divorce settlements. While the amounts they agree to pay are fixed, they are not set in stone. People who lose their jobs or run into other kinds of financial difficulty might be able, with the assistance of a family law attorney, to have their child support requirements adjusted.
One thing that parents who have trouble coming up with all of their payments in a given month probably shouldn’t do is to do nothing at all. When Illinois parents who owe money reply to requests to pay with silence, child support enforcement actions could be taken.
This is the situation facing R&B singer R. Kelly, a native of Chicago. Kelly has had issues with paying child support to his ex-wife in the past; in fact, he reportedly owed her more than $100,000 in arrears at one time. While that debt has been satisfied, Kelly’s former wife has now said in court papers that he is again not paying what is owed — around $21,000 per month.
There was a hearing on the matter in November, but Kelly did not appear. The judge in the case said that if Kelly fails to show up for the next hearing in the case, scheduled for late next month, that he could sentence the singer to up to half a year in an Illinois jail.
Most fathers paying child support have lower monthly payments to make, but these can still be difficult, depending on a person’s financial picture. If someone finds it necessary to pay less than their required amount, it may be beneficial to speak with an experienced Illinois family law attorney.
Source: The St. Louis American, “Unchecked child support could land R. Kelly in the clink,” Feb. 20, 2014
