Texas-What happens after child is 18?

[txmomof2]

What is the name of your state? Texas.

My daughter will be 18 in January, and will graduate high school in May (woohoo!).

Anyway, my question is that I've been told that once the child ages 'out' that the court order is still good in regards to "arrears" but very little is done by way of collecting, etc.

Once the child reaches the age of majority, since I go through the ATTY GENERAL, will I then have to obtain an attorney for arrears?

The last time we went to court, he did not show, but the atty for the OAG indicated that there's only "one" warrant once the child graduates that they are allowed?

He has an active warrant right now because he simply refuses to pay ANYTHING at all towards his support- I think my arrears are sitting at close to 17,000.

Once she's off to college, my plan was to switch from direct deposit of the child support to the debit card the state gives for support and just give that to her for money while she's away at college.

 

[Papaya]

Texas OAG arreage only case

Hi,

I think your case will be the same as mine. I have the arreage only case with the OAG due to step-parent adoption. My ex has no current support obligation but his arreage is $30k.

The OAG will continue to pursue him for the arreage but they will not be able to arrest him for non-payment of child support. Has they suspend his license yet? We're working on getting his license suspended right now.

The OAG told me they can 1) intercept ex's tax refund 2) seize his bank account, savings, income from stocks etc 3) intercept unemployement/social security benefits 4) suspend driver's and any professional license, 5) suspend/deny a passport application/renewal, 6)put a lien on properties 7) garnish paychecks..

You still may have a court date to "confirm arreage" and if he no shows, a warrant for his arrest only for "failure to appear" - not for "non payment of child support."

Do you know where he lives/works? Is he scared of getting arrested? You should try and get him arrested while you can... once the case becomes "inactive," the OAG can't put him in jail for non payment...

 

[txmomof2]

thanks

Thanks for the response.

He is living in the Metroplex ~somewhere~ but who knows where.....

I know that about every 2-3 months I'll get a copy of a wage withholding but nothing ever materializes from it (I'm assuming that once he realizes he's about to have garnishment that he quits).

He's gone to jail twice in the last 17 years for warrants (failure to appear, as you said) and he'd pay the cash bond then never show up for the hearing set afterwards.

Getting him INTO court is a battle. I'm assuming though, that they ARE serving him or they wouldn't be able to do a "failure to appear" on him.

I have no idea the status of his license, etc. I'm doubtful that there is even a bank account to be seized, but I'm guessing.

So between now and when she graduates, I need to do what? Inquire about the license thing?

Do the arrearages ever "go away" after a certain length of time? I also heard from someone else, that once the child graduates that they can reduce what he has to pay to a minimum of $50 per month if it's arrears only. Ever heard of that?

I've not been able to find much online about all this.