Child Support-What would you do/recommend? (legal Advice and Divorced mothers only please)?

Question

If the mother has full custody, and the father is out of the country, remarried, working a good job (Building Engineer), and obviously doing very well financially (has brand new car, is buying a house, father is US citizens and the country is NOT one of the countries who have a child support enforcement agreement) . The father has verbally agreed to pay $200 a month (but actually pays whenever he feels like it, not on a monthly basis).

*For a country which does not have a Child Support Enforcement Agreement, the consequence for the father would be the revocation of his US Passport IF and WHEN he tries to re-enter the country, and after the owed amount is $5000 or more. The information about the father's earnings is not available, but can be obtained.

Choice A: Not file Child Support and receive the $200 (whenever).

Choice B: File for a child support and wait until the father comes back to the country to get the $5000 or more.

I am trying to find out more information about child support and international law. Whichever insight you can offer regarding THAT is very helpful. Please back up your answer if you can (web links, reasoning for it, etc). Thanks.

http://travel.state.gov/law/info/info_608.html#passport

Answer 1

choice b for me. hope this helps, we moms got to stick together.

Answer 2

Always file for child support, for your children's sake.

On the legal side, you *really* need a lawyer with international law experience, preferably for the country your ex lives in.  

Answer 3

File for it.  You need the protection afforded by the court order.  And .... $200 a month?  If he's making good money, your child is probably entitled to a LOT more than $200 a month!!!

Good luck to you.

Answer 4

You need to file for child support and being that you are in the United States, his wages will be garnished for the child support amount.  I don't know if his company has an office or headquarters in the states, but they would be legally required to comply with a court order.  Even a lot of international companies will comply with court orders, as they do not want any trouble.  

I would 100% file.  It is not as simple as saying "He's out of the country, oh well."  He will have to respond to the petition of the court, or it will automatically be ruled in your favor.  If you are divorced, then you would go back for a reevaluation of the child support agreement.  

Has paternity been established, or were you married?  With his income being decent, you will also get more than $200.00 per month.  

Your best bet would be to contact your local child support enforcement agency for assistance.  They know everything about laws in every country, and all the available legal loop holes!

Basically, you have nothing to loose!  

Answer 5

you can ask for a mirror law - I believe some countries in the world allow this to happen in other words, you can take him to the small claims court and the judge can request assistance from the embassy of the country of where he lives to assist.

Answer 6

Let me start by saying I am not familiar with the international laws pertaining to child support.  I am just a mom.  With that being said, I feel that you should pursue child support through the legal system/child support enforcement agency.  Your child needs to be provided for, more often than when your ex husband feels like sending it.  The child support should be paid on a consistent basis, and with court ordered child support, you are more likely to see it, than with a verbal agreement.  Good luck to You.