Every family situation is unique, which is why the court typically takes several factors into consideration before making decisions regarding child-related issues in divorce. Child support is often a main concern and California has guidelines in place to help the court determine what is appropriate in a given set of circumstances. The court generally aligns its decisions with what it believes is in the best interests of the child or children involved.
If a parent disobeys a court order or otherwise tries to avoid his or her obligations to pay child support, it can lead to major legal trouble. Such is the case for a police officer in another state. He is now facing criminal charges concerning allegations that he falsified income documents so his child support payments would be lower. The officer’s child turned 21 in 2017.
The alleged child support scheme was apparently discovered when the parent/officer in question was being investigated for a separate, undisclosed matter. Officials say that the falsified records allowed the father to withhold more than $15,000 he would likely have had to pay if he had truthfully reported his income. In this particular situation, if the court convicts him, he stands to lose his job as a member of the New York Police Department.
Not all child support problems lead to criminal charges. However, any type of legal issue that arises between a paying parent and a nonpaying parent can be quite stressful. Most California parents rely on experienced family law attorneys to help them rectify such situations rather than try to handle their legal problems alone.