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With the national unemployment rate at 9.5% and Colorado’s jobless figure just below 8%, the heat is on for parents who are unable to pay their Colorado Springs court-ordered child support.  But what is a custodial parent to do if their ex-spouse has stopped looking for a job?  If your ex isn’t paying child support and claims he or she cannot get a job of any kind, then it may be time to consult with a Colorado Springs child support lawyer. 

Without a trained eye and legal experience, it can be difficult to present a grievance to Colorado family court when a support-obligated parent is unemployed.  However, a local Colorado Springs family law attorney who has experience in child support law is aware of the tactics used by parents who want to avoid paying child support.  No matter what shape the economy is in, some parents deeply resent paying court-ordered support. 

Attorneys often see unemployed or underemployed parents use some of these strategies to avoid paying support.  Here are some clues they will look for in a case like this. 

The support obligated parent might:

• Only work when they can be paid “under the table” or in jobs where they can claim lower wages than they actually earn
• Never seek a part-time supplementary income while collecting jobless benefits
• Rely on a partner or spouse for money and start a small business
• Claim they cannot find work in their field when there is no evidence they have attempted to do so
• Accept a part-time, low-paying job and request a modification of support based on that income
• File for an extension on tax-returns to prevent any refunds from being intercepted by federal or state offset programs
• Intentionally seek temporary work instead of a permanent job
• Refuse to seek work that is commensurate with their education and/or experience
• Stop looking for work altogether
• Start storing money somewhere other than a bank, where it cannot be seized by child support enforcement

While a Colorado Springs child support lawyer cannot ask a judge to force your ex into employment, there are other things that can be done.  For one, your attorney can ask for present evidence to the court if there is a way to prove a pattern of willful unemployment.  If a judge believes that your ex is not seeking work intentionally, then your attorney can file a complaint for Contempt of Court. 

Patricia Marrison is a Family Law attorney in Colorado Springs, CO. and the owner of the Marrison Family Law LLC, Colorado Springs largest Family Law practice.  The Marrison Family Law LLC is devoted to assisting with the difficulties of the breakup of relationships, be it common law marriage, a non-marriage with children, or dissolution with or without children. We attempt to serve the entire spectrum of relationships, from those couples with the simplest, uncontested dissolution to the highly conflicted relationship involving allegations of domestic abuse.