A California woman has prevailed in court in a child support claim against her ex-husband. What makes the case unusual is that her victory comes almost 50 years after the man left her and their 3-year-old daughter and moved to Canada.
The woman, who lives in North San Diego County, says that she had given up trying to get the court-ordered support after her husband left the country in the early 1970s. She says she “just kind of forgot about it over the years” and raised her daughter on her own. Her daughter now owns the Los Angeles interior design firm where her mother used to work.
She says, “I was able to send my daughter to college, Paris. We traveled and had a good time. But the money runs out.” Now that she’s retired and doesn’t have a lot of money, she remembered that her “deadbeat ex,” as she calls him, owes her money. He’s back in the country, living in Oregon.
She says she realized that “there’s no statute of limitations on child support.” She sought to get what she was owed — with interest. The original child support order was for $160 per month. What would have totaled $30,000 at that rate as her child grew up, with interest, is now approximately $170,000.
The two reached a settlement for $150,000 this month. The woman says, “I think he’s a little bit panicked….I was panicked all these years. Now, it’s his turn.”
The woman says she wants to spread the word to other parents who are owed child support not to give up. She also wants to let those who try to escape their obligations know that they should never assume they’re in the clear.
These days, there are more sophisticated methods for tracking down parents who owe child support and collecting the money they owe for their children’s care and upbringing than there were in the 1970s. Your attorney can help you pursue legal action to obtain that support.
