Divorce. Child Custody. Adoption. Wills. Difficult Family Law Issues.

  1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Uncategorized
  4.  » 

On Behalf of | Jun 13, 2014 | Uncategorized

Text messaging has grown from a hip fad to a way of life for advertisers across a number of industries. A quick marketing blast can alert people of upcoming doctor’s appointments, upcoming sales, and reminders for court dates. However, a mass text message regarding child support payments and Father’s Day has many dads in central Pennsylvania fuming.

The text message read: “Looking for an ideal Father’s Day gift? Make a child support payment!!!!”

The implication that all dads subject to child support obligations was simply offensive, according to one father who received the text message. He also asked if a similar message was sent out to mothers who were ordered to pay support as a Mother’s Day gift.

While Harris County does not generally send text messages to alert fathers to make their support payments, we can’t help but to think that it is an exercise in bad taste to request that such payments be made as a Father’s Day gift. Fathers are supposed to support their children throughout the year, and Father’s Day should not be regarded as an “ideal” time to meet one’s legal obligation. Moreover, Father’s Day is meant to celebrate the contributions that fathers make on children’s lives, and it is reasonable to assume that many fathers will be spending time with their kids and money should not be a concern.

Such a text message is an unfortunate indictment that all payers are somehow behind, uninterested in or unable to make a payment just before Father’s Day. After all, many fathers are subject to income withholding and willingly make payments. For those who struggle with payments, it is not unheard of for them to struggle with employment and other issues that may prevent them from making full payments.

It is these situations where an experienced family attorney can help.

Source: Nbcphiladelphia.com  “Text tells dads to pay child support as ‘ideal Father’s Day gift’,” Associated Press, June 6, 2014

FindLaw Network