Can you collect support arrearages if I’m getting current child support?

Can you collect support arrearages if I’m getting current child support?

QUESTION:

Good afternoon my name is Samantha and I reside in Michigan. I have a child support case ordered and I’m only receiving very small payments from the father such as 52.00 a month. To my knowledge my daughter’s father works part-time but hasn’t filled taxes in more than 3 or 4 years. My arrears are not quite $9,000. What can I do to get the courts to get him to get caught up on the child support arrearages. He works part-time purposely to only have to make small child support payments on his cases. I know he has other cases one before my daughter was born and a minimum of one more after mine. He has seven children and my daughter is his second child. Please help… with anything I could do to make him more liable than $52 a month.

Sincerely,

Samantha

OUR ANSWER:

Hi Samantha,

Thank you for the email and questions. I’m afraid there is little we will be able to do to help since he is making minimal payments and there are other cases with child support orders. Any funds collected from the non-custodial parent would be divided between all cases he is to pay. Given that he is working part time, and child support is coming in, I’m afraid we would not be able to address the support currently in arrears.

Please contact the county child support enforcement and discuss the situation with them. They may have other options or they will tell you the same as I just explained. Wish we could help more but best of luck to you and your children.