When a parent does not pay child support, this hurts the children. These are the individuals that cannot fend for themselves in these situations. There are millions of children throughout New York and all other states who are suffering because they are not receiving any financial assistance.

For example, a recent story discusses a Brooklyn mother. She is separated from her husband and is trying to raise her two children on her own. Her husband, like many parents ordered to pay child support, has not been making contributions. He owes his children over $20,000 in child support payments. 

Another woman is owed over $70,000 in child support. This woman and the Brooklyn individual both work and take care of their children. Because they are not getting child support to help raise the children, they have very little or no money to put toward a lawsuit.

Furthermore, many parents ordered to pay support find jobs that pay under the table, so their income does not show up and the state cannot garnish their wages. Still, others get rid of -- either hide, sell, give away or destroy -- assets so that the assets may not be taken to cover child support payments or child support arrearages. Unfortunately, these parents are adept at hiding assets and finding work that pays under the table, thus making child support impossible to collect.

The United States Census Bureau's statistics state that 59 percent of custodial parents do not receive some or all of their child support payments. This means that there are 3.5 million parents who do not receive support for their children.

Collection methods include liens on property, driver's license suspension, forced sale of assets, suspension of professional licenses, wage garnishment, revocation of passports and interception of tax refunds. Many states, including New York, arrest deadbeat parents. Some states keep a "most wanted" list for those who owe child support.

If your children are not receiving the child support that they deserve, perhaps you should speak to an attorney about your legal possibilities.

Source: Enhanced Online News, "Lawyers.com spotlights national crisis in child support payments," Jan. 24, 2012