Child Support in FL

Does anyone have any experience with Child Support in FL from out of state payments? My sister needs some help collecting a huge arrears from the father who is in Alabama. The AL courts handled the case, take his $$ and send it to the FL Courts where it gets transferred to my sister.

The payments started when she lived in NC, and NC was trying to collect the arrears amounts on a monthly basis. When she moved to FL and the case was transferred to FL, apparently someone dropped the ball.

I know absolutely nothing about this issue but do know that all state and federal agencies in Florida are just overwhelmed and understaffed.
She needs to get herself a contact number for the agency handling this and call them every single day. Sometimes I think they know a certain amount of folks will just give up if they are ignored long enough- don't let her be one of those people!
This is a definite case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease. She needs to make such a pest of herself that their getting her case serviced is easier than ignoring her.

Best of luck...

Thanks : )

Darius, Child Support I can tell you about....specific state laws...well a few states I know ...arghhh.. There is a thing called the Long Arm Statute though and when the two parties are in other states, it takes a long time to get. I would highly suggest that she go to her county attorney and get some ball rolling. How old are the children? Honestly, I can't believe that Alabama is not enforcing the issue.

When all else fails call a TV station! No one likes their face spread across the screen for being a deadbeat Dad! :)

Kathy, I just lookerd up the Long Arm Statute, at your suggestion. Thanks. He owes something like $9,000 in back payments ordered by the court. He's retired military with a pension. The kid will be 18 this year and my sister is trying to get the arrears paid.

Military does not take too kindly to this. She should contact the military (I think it's called the Adjutant General). IF she has court papers and everything, she's got it covered.

If you haven't already seen this, maybe there's something here that will help:
http://sun6.dms.state.fl.us/dor/childsupport/

Thanks. I had already been to all the FL Gov. child support sites, and have some useful phone numbers now.

i really do feel for you i myself paid cs for nine years plus insurance and dental and some times it was hard real hard but i was never late not one time a few years i found out my ex girl friend (yes i am a guy) was doing so pretty bad stuff socourt and more court now my wife and i have him for the past 3 almost 4 years ive got a totle of 342.00 dollars all she has to pay is 25 a week i dont really know about any other state but tn cs is a joke sorry this did,nt help much guess im just vinting we dont need the money its just the fact she never calls well its her lose and one day shell see that

deschazkody, at least you have him, and he is out of harm's way. : )

Amen Darius. My daughter has major child support issues with her ex here in KY. They say that they have improved the child support issues all across the country but that's poppycock!

My ex never paid his, and he only had to pay me $75 a week for 2 kids. It used to be $35 until I told the courts that was absurd!!! Then it was pulling teeth to get it...yet my husband's ex, sent us into bankruptcy, lost our house, my kids went without so much while she got $245 a week! Yep, you read right!!!

My ex's new wife, told my DH's ex that we owned all kinds of property, had lots of money in the bank and we were "rolling in dough". It was 8 years of pure hell....my DH was extradited to Massachusetts....oh I could write a book. I will tell you, my DH was in the Army at the time and was transferred from Germany to Kentucky. His ex told the court that he fled Massachusetts and left her destitute. Funny thing is that we were married then. And he did not flee. Well, the lawyer (a female) hated men and as it turns out she was disbarred for doing unethical procedures and falsifying information. My DH's name came up in the suit, which we found out after the fact.

But our saving grace was firing all of our lawyers and we went through plenty, and to defend ourselves (himself). And I did much research for all the lawyers, a few asked me to become a paralegal because I saved them so much time. It didn't save me any money though.

As i said I could write a book! and what a horror story it was. I am glad that they are grown and he hasn't even seen them since they were little girls. We have heard through the grapevine that there are 4 grandchildren so far, but we never heard it from them and they want nothing to do with their father because their mother has fed them so many lies about him. Little do they know, that not knowing their father (who is the best man I know) is a definite loss for them. Too bad! My kids got the best in the long run. (I hope they are DG members and reading this, ha, ha)...

Sorry for rambling, but the CS world is so unfair and unjust. It all depends on whose ox is getting gored!

:) Kathy

darius,
Hi there! 1st - I am a former mil spouse as well. Only reason I get CS is because he is retired and they garnish his retirement. As a former mil member, then fed civilian that worked in NY as military personnel specialist, I knew the deal on what the fed govt would and wouldn't do when we went to court. In fact, I did a lot of the legwork on it too... if it didn't save me money, at least it did make paperwork accurate.

2nd - NY ct in county we both lived had jurisdiction. I moved to another county, the first co was eager to reliquish jurisdiction. The 2nd county kept jurisdiction when we moved to PA, which has been great!

3rd - mil retirement can be garnished, up to certain amt of his retirement and more if it is for arrears.

1st, your sister needs to contact the AL courts to see exactly what they sent, when and to whom. Then, she needs to contact that court and find out what is going on. Easily taken care of by herself, so no atty fees.

2nd, recommend finding out if the AL CS agency will send the money they garnish directly to her, since they have that right, unless the FL courts have intervened in some way.

3rd, be very diligent and get everything started NOW. The sooner, the better! Every state law is different, so be careful too.

4th, is the member paying it directly to the court or is the military garnishing it? They should be garnishing it! Here is website for DFAS-Cleveland. That is where they so thankfully garnish mil pay for Army - if he is other, may be another. http://www.dod.mil/dfas/money/garnish/

Good luck and let us know... Thanks, Suzi :)
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Thanks, Suzi!