Child Support Nonpayment Goes Up As Economy Worsens

by ABC-7 Reporter Rachel Abell

EL PASO, Texas — As the economy continues to suffer, child support delinquencies have reached epidemic levels, plunging many parents and children into poverty and bankruptcy.

“For years we’ve been having this battle,” said Lina Landeros, speaking in Spanish.

She said it’s been a long time since she has regularly received any child support payments from her ex-husband.

“I”m mad, I’m frustrated,” she said.

Paperwork from the Attorney General’s office helped explain why.

It showed she and her two young children are owed nearly $22,000 dollars in back payments.

“Times are tough,” Lina said, “but my ex-husband should be wiling to take care of his family.”

“It’s a court order…it’s law. You can’t just not pay your child support,” said Ouisa Davis, who works for the El Paso County Domestic Relations Office.

She said while nonpayment of child support is always a problem here in the Borderland, it’s gotten worse since the economy took a turn for the worse.

But she was quick to remind us that the slumping economy doesn’t relieve you of the obligation of contributing to that child’s support.

The Domestic Relations Office is one place you can turn to for help collecting unpaid child support and another option is hiring a private practice attorney.

“I’m facing more modifications where people are going in the court and trying to reduce their child support because they lost their jobs,” said Gene Semko, a private practice lawyer in El Paso.

He said he deals with child support issues on a daily basis and agrees that it is a big issue here.

So did Judge Mike Herrera.

“There’s a percentage of people who for various reasons do not or cannot or will not be able to pay,” he said.

Judge Herrera said while the vast majority of parents do make an effort to pay child support, it’s still a frustrating situation for court officials.

“I think people should realize that if they intend to have children, they also have to remember they have a future responsibility to provide child support…it’s a moral and legal obligation,” he said.

Judge Herrera says it’s most important to remember what is at the center of this family drama…children.

As for Lina, she said her kids are what matter to her…and she needs help to provide for them.

Help, that many across the Borderland are having to do without.

Court officials say garnishing pay, probation, and even jail time are other ways to make sure parents pay child support.