Divorcing couples with minor children must maintain them after the marriage ends. However, while some ex-spouses are concerned about the financial well-being of their kids, others are interested in how not to pay child support.
If the child’s father doesn’t help them financially due to unwillingness or unemployment, it does not mean the kids will not get any assistance. Even if a parent does not work or earns a living wage that meets only their needs, state law does not absolve them of the responsibility to provide for their children.
In this article, we will analyze how to get child support if the father is not working and consider different situations of assigning child maintenance, depending on who has primary custody and the reasons for the paying party’s unemployment.
Who Has to Pay Child Support?
Spouses with minor children can determine the terms of child support themselves by concluding a Marital Settlement Agreement. If their case is contested, the court may order either one or both parents to pay child support after the divorce (IN Code §31-16-6-1). Under Indiana law, both parents must maintain their children, but who will provide financial assistance to the other party is affected by the child custody arrangements and the parties’ income levels.
When deciding on child maintenance, the judge will be guided by the children’s best interests and consider the following factors:
- The financial status of parents.
- The standard of living the children would have if their parents had not dissolved their marriage.
- Physical and mental state and medical and educational needs of children.
The judge will calculate the amount of financial assistance using the Indiana Child Support Guidelines and analyzing the weekly income of parties and make a conclusion about which ex-spouse should pay child support.
Which parent will be the custodian and whom children will spend most of their time with also affects the child support appointment. To decide it, spouses must prepare a Parenting Plan on their own or file a respective request with the court.
So, does a father have to pay child support? Not always, since it depends on many circumstances. Cases of a mother paying child support to the father are quite frequent if he has primary custody or if it is equal and the ex-wife’s income significantly exceeds his own.
Do women pay child support? Yes, they should cover these expenses if the parties agree to it on their own or the court issues a corresponding decree.
Does the state pay child support if the father doesn’t? No, the state will not pay it, but the judge can influence the situation. If the father refuses to provide the child with a certain amount of money ordered by the court without any valid reason, he may face penalties, such as debt collection or incarceration.
Do you have to pay child support if you are not the father? It is difficult to answer this question right away. If your paternity is not confirmed, you will need to prove or disprove it before the court orders you to pay child support. You may avoid maintaining the child after divorce if you are not the biological parent, except in situations when you adopt the kid.
Do you have to pay child support if you don’t have parental rights? The answer to this question may be affected by many factors. The parent who has lost parental rights is usually exempted from paying support and interfering in their children’s lives. However, you cannot just give up your rights to avoid maintenance. Only the court can decide to deprive you of parental rights.
What If the Father Has Sole or Primary Custody?
Either mother or father can be a custodial parent. Given that the spouse who has sole custody spends most of the time with children and is the one who constantly takes care of them, the other parent will have to pay child support. If the custodial parent has no income because they devote all their time to children and cannot get a job, the court can award not only child but also spousal maintenance.
Does the custodial parent have to work? Yes, they should be employed because, after the divorce, both parents are obliged to maintain minor children. However, the one with primary custody can be unable to work and needs financial support to provide the children with the necessities. If the custodial parent refuses to work for valid reasons, the amount of child support may be higher; if not, the court may award the lower support but will likely not exempt the non-custodial parent from paying it.
How long does a father have to be absent to lose his rights in Indiana? It is challenging to find the exact answer in the Indiana laws. Contacting a family law attorney may be a wise decision to get a consultation on the issue.
It is necessary to note that the judge may deprive the mother or father of their parental rights for several reasons. Their list may include mental illness, imprisonment, habitual intemperance, physical and sexual abuse, chronic neglect, failure to meet the child’s medical needs, and abandonment.
What If the Father Has Split Custody?
When parents share joint custody, they are equally responsible for the maintenance of their children. Who will pay child support to the other party mostly depends on their income level.
The court may grant financial assistance to the parent who earns less if children spend the same amount of time with both parents, but one of them makes significantly more money than the other. If the father wants 50/50 custody to avoid child support but has a higher income than the mother, he will most likely still have to provide financial assistance to the children.
Can a father lose custody for not having a job? No, it is unlikely if he does not neglect his responsibilities towards children. If the father was dismissed from work, it does not deprive him of child custody. Similarly, he will not lose it if he becomes unable to be employed due to illness or disability. Instead, he may potentially lose custody due to refusing to work and provide for the children if he can find a job and start earning.
What If the Father Has No Custody?
Lack of child custody does not relieve the father or mother of the obligation to support kids. They can communicate with and visit the children and must pay child support if the court orders it.
You will likely have to maintain the children financially if you are the parent without custody because the other parent provides for them anyway. Whether the court will award child support if the non-custodial parent is not working depends on why they are not employed. If they cannot get a job due to incapacity, they need to notify the court of it; if they refuse to work, the judge will calculate alimony based on potential income. The possible consequences for both situations are discussed in the next section.
How Does Child Support Work When the Father Has No Job?
Paying child support with no income can be extremely difficult. Still, you may be obliged to support the children financially following the order issued by the court, regardless of whether you have a job. Therefore, the answer to the question, “Can I get child support if the father is unemployed?” is affirmative in most situations.
The court determines the amount of child support based on the weekly income of both parties and the imputed income calculation principle if the spouse who is required to make payments is unemployed without legitimate reasons.
How much child support will I pay if I have no income? It depends on your work experience, previous income level, and the possibility of getting a full-time job. If the court finds that you are able to work but neglect it, the payments will be calculated taking into account your potential salary if you were employed.
Of course, it’s troublesome for a father to pay child support with no job. However, it is possible to avoid it only under limited circumstances.
How does child support work if the father has no job due to disability? Usually, the court will still order child maintenance. The judge may oblige you to file an application for receipt of benefits if you are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance; then, assistance will be subtracted from your benefits. However, if you receive Supplemental Security Income, you can be exempt from support payments.
What Happens If the Father Refuses to Pay Child Support?
What may happen when a father does not pay child support depends on the duration and reasons for his evasion of financial assistance. Can a father not pay child support? He must pay it if the court has issued a decision on its appointment.
What happens if a father doesn’t pay child support due to neglect of his duties? The court can collect the debt by ordering the employer to deduct the required amount of maintenance from his salary.
What happens if you don’t pay child support because you don’t want to get a job? Firstly, the judge can confiscate your property to cover the duty, deprive you of your driver’s license, and even imprison you for contempt of court.
What happens when you don’t pay child support because your income has changed or you have become unable to work? You need to file a petition with the clerk’s office to modify the court order. According to IN Code §31-16-8-1, you can request a modification of child support in two cases:
- When there has been a significant change in circumstances.
- If the amount of the assigned support differs from the recommended one by at least 20%, and the court made the decision on its appointment no less than 12 months before.
If a father doesn’t pay child support, does he have rights to child custody? He will maintain custody rights if his indebtedness is based on valid reasons. However, he may lose custody under specific grounds, such as if he avoids maintaining and visiting children. In any case, it is better to discuss this aspect with a legal professional.
What If One Parent Disagrees with How the Other Parent Spends Child Support?
The court does not oblige anyone to monitor how the parent disposes of child support. However, the father may potentially make a claim about the mother not using child support for a child but spending it for her own needs. If he can prove it, he can go to court to settle this issue.
What is child support used for? The main child support purpose is to achieve comfortable living conditions for minor children by providing them with everything they need: clothes, food, medical and educational services, etc. However, the parent who receives it can spend it in other ways, such as renting a car or a house. Since living in a house or using a car is directly related to the children, it cannot be said that the spent child support will not apply to them. Therefore, if you plan to prove the opposite in court, you must prepare substantial evidence.