If you must pay with cash (not advisable), get a receipt signed by the receiving parent stating how much they are paid and that it is for child support.

If you provide payment in kind (groceries, gas, utilities, diapers, etc.) [not advised], get a receipt from the receiving parent stating the value and that the “payment in kind” is in lieu of payment in cash of a certain amount of money – the amount spent on the “stuff.”

If you pay with a check (recommended), make sure and put on the memo line that it is for child support, and, even better, for what time period (e.g. May 2012).

If you have questions about child support, reply to this post.

Please comment, add, refute, clarify or inquire regarding this posting if you are so inclined.  I would love for this to convert to a helpful dialogue and resource.

A parent will be hauled into court for failure to pay child support.  The parent will say that they have lost their job, or their income has been reduced for some reason or another, and they just can’t pay child support.  The commissioner’s response, ” I don’t understand zero.”

This statement doesn’t come when a parent has been making some kind of payments, even if it is not the full amount that is owed.  At least the parent seems to be trying.  But what the commissioner cannot understand is how a parent can eat themselves and not provide for their child or children to eat – “I don’t understand zero.”

Lesson learned: if you are struggling to pay your child support obligation for any reason, and you don’t want to go to jail for contempt, pay whatever you can.  Keep a close accounting of your income and outflow of money so that you can show what you are spending your money on that is not fully paying your child support.  But, do NOT fail to pay some child support, as you will get no sympathy or understanding from the judge/commissioner if you don’t pay any child support at all.

Please comment, add, refute, clarify or inquire regarding this posting if you are so inclined.  I would love for this blog to become a helpful dialogue and resource.

UVU’S LEGAL STUDIES PROGRAM TO SPONSOR FREE LEGAL CLINIC

Through a joint effort between Utah Valley University’s Legal Studies Program and the local legal community, those in need of legal services will be able to receive free legal advice at a clinic scheduled for Oct. 25 in the UVU Library.

“This is an important service for the low income or middle income in the community who cannot afford an attorney,” said Jill Jasperson, associate director of UVU’s Center for the Study of Ethics. “It is designed to help them with their legal issues and problems.”

The legal consultation clinic, set from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Timpanogos Room on the fourth floor of the UVU Library, is in conjunction with National Pro Bono Week. Attorneys with varying expertise – including family law, employment law, civil rights, commercial law, contracts law, disability law, landlord-tenant law, criminal law, personal injury law, bankruptcy, commercial law, immigration law and estate planning – will be available to provide legal advice and guidance on most every legal issue.

“All UVU faculty, staff and students are invited, along with anyone in the Utah County area who might have a legal issue and a need for legal guidance,” Jasperson said. “All of the legal services will be donated from the local legal community.”

Participants need to bring all documentation necessary to explain and assist in their cases. The brief consultations, with an attorney and paralegal student present, will take place in a private room. A notary public will also be available. Services are rendered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Depending on demand, there might be a short waiting period. Parking is available in the lot L-7, north of the Library.

“At the past two clinics, we’re estimating that more than $30,000 worth of legal services were rendered by the local legal community,” Jasperson said.

The clinic is also sponsored by the Woodbury School of Business, the UVU Center for the Study of Ethics, Utah Community Credit Union and the Central Utah Bar Association.
For more information contact the UVU Legal Studies Office at 801-863-8134, or Mike Rigert, UVU communications manager at 801-863-6807.

About UVU
Utah Valley University is located in Orem, Utah, and is home to nearly 33,000 students. UVU began as a vocational school during World War II, and in the seven decades since has evolved into a technical school, community college, state college and, finally, a comprehensive regional teaching university. UVU is one of Utah’s largest institutions of higher learning and offers programs ranging from career training to high-demand master degrees, with emphasis on undergraduate education.

When considering whether or not to contest parts of a divorce, you must consider the costs, and know that litigating and contesting divorce is expensive, even if you are right.  A good legal advisor with let you know what the likely outcomes of your case is.