On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in child support on Monday, March 18, 2019.
If asked, most divorced parents in Bloomington might say that they have no issue with paying child support. Even if they happen to harbor resentment towards their ex-spouses, they may understand that their child support payments are not meant for their ex-spouses’ benefit, but rather to assist their children. Sadly, disputes between former spouses may ultimately lead to accusations of one withholding child support as a form of punishment.
That is the accusation being made by the wife of singer R. Kelly. She claims that he has intentionally withheld this $20,000 per-month child support payment as a way of getting back at her. All told, Kelly allegedly owes almost $200,000 in child support arrears. He recently spent three days in a Cook County jail as a result of the missed payments after a judge ordered his arrest following him missing a scheduled payment deadline.
Kelly, however, counters his ex-wife’s claims that he has purposefully missed his payments. He claims that (among other things) allegations of emotional and physical abuse made by his ex-wife have made it impossible for him to work and raise money in order to afford his payments.
This case demonstrates several of the problems that arise from child support arrears. It may be understandable that the court would want to impose punitive action as a method of enforcement for missed child support payments. One may not be able to find the money to make payments, however, if they are incarcerated. A better solution may be to not miss payments in the first place. Those finding themselves unable to afford their child support payments might be better served approaching the court to see if their obligations can be modified. Finding success in such an endeavor may be much easier if one was an attorney in their corner.
