Question asked on Nov 30th, 2017
Q: My ex husband is $8,000 in past due child support payments. He is a retired air Force service member, living with his parents rent free, he just told me for the first time today 11/30/2017 that he has been willingly unemployed the past 4 months, but has been lying telling me he’s been working non stop and still not sending payments. The reason for his not getting a source of income is because he is going through the police academy and it takes up all his time.
A: The facts are not totally clear, but you have several options. Presumably, the situation you describe is that you are owed $8k from your ex for support of a child. If so, that sum is probably even greater, as interest and penalties should apply, as explained here and here. As to collection, if he “retired” with a military pension, that can be garnished for back support; see some explanation here. If he got out of service before serving enough years to earn a pension, all sums can be garnished from his incipient police salary — and he might be motivated to start making payments since Metro probably will not be pleased to hear that one of its applicants is in contempt of a court order for support. If you are not sure what to do or how to do it, you should consult with a family law specialist well versed in child support, retirement benefits, and collections.
