There is nothing wrong with wanting to make sure one’s children are provided for. Unfortunately, many custodial parents in Massachusetts and elsewhere find collecting child support to be much harder than it should be. Those ordered to pay may lack income or have a number of other reasons as they why they believe they shouldn’t have to pay up. What can custodial parents do when child support is not being paid?
In another state, a woman tried turning to social media to get her child’s father topay support owed her. In Feb. 2017, this individual posted a picture of her then 2-year-old son, bound and gagged with duck tape. With the picture, she posted a ransom note asking for several thousand dollars if the child’s father wanted to see his son again. The mother claims she did this as a joke, but several Facebook members who saw the picture took it seriously and called the police. The woman was arrested and ultimately charged with cruelty to a child.
This post, joke or not, cost this woman six months with her child. She is now on probation for five years, has had to pay a fine of $500 and has to take parenting classes. It is unclear if the child’s father has become current on his child support obligation.
What is the lesson in this case? There are a few actually. First, great consequences can follow social media posts. Second, there is a right and wrong way to go about child support enforcement. Parents in Massachusetts who need help with support enforcement can turn to legal counsel for guidance and assistance on the matter.
