After a divorce is finalized and the details of child custody are decided, many fathers think that the dispute is over. But that is not necessarily the case. Take, a Texas man whose rights as a father and, indeed, his right to freedom may be in jeopardy due to a new law in Texas.
A Houston father is currently locked in a custody battle for his 12-year-old son. To make matters worse, he has been sentenced to six months in jail due to a new Texas law that allows family court judges the discretion to jail delinquent child-support payers – even if they have paid in full before the hearing. This father’s situation is unique in that his employer is actually the party at fault for the child support money failing to reach the mother on time. This evidence was presented during the appeal process but not at the hearing where he was found in contempt for late child support payments.
Although this father has a specific reason for his late child support payments – many in Texas will not be able to explain their late payments so easily. There could be many reasons why a father would fail to pay child support. Most would not know that they could face jail time in the state of Texas for such an occurrence. The attorneys of the father’s case want his case to “serve as a warning that any parent can face this sort of judgment.”
Although most fathers would never intentionally miss a child support payment – things like this do and will happen. It is important to know the laws and regulations pertaining to child custody and child support, especially in Texas. The father from Houston was not aware of this law and is now sentenced to jail time. Until the law is revised or revoked, other fathers with past-due child support payments may face the same fate.
Source: www.abc13.com, “Clerical error for child support payments sending dad to jail,” Tom Abrahams, June 23, 2014