State Going Ex Husband For Child Support

by Deanna
(Thurston County, Wa)

My ex-husband and I separated in 2007 and divorced in 2009. At the time we seperated the state of Washington calculated the child support payments for our two children. When we divorced this amount was recalculated and an amount was agreed on for past child support for my daughter whom he wished to be named a defacto parent of. The judge set the amount of back support at $4600 and my ex was to begin making payments on it 19 months after the final decree was signed.

The reason for the 19 month delay is that I was entitled to a portion of his military retirement which I opted out on; instead he and I agreed that he would pay $200 a month in alimony for 18 months while I was attending school, after which he would begin making the payments on the back support.

We also requested that both current and back child support as well as alimony was to be paid directly to me as it was taking any where from 5 to 12 business days after he paid the support before I ever received it through child support enforcement services. A prosecuting attorney for DCS had to sign off on this, which they did.

It has been 11 months since our divorce was final and DCS has hounded my ex-husband this entire time. They claim that he has not been paying support since the divorce was finalized. He has been paying and has canceled checks to prove it; I have spoken to DCS as well and let them know that yes, he does pay the court ordered support. This week he was served with papers stating that he owes $21,000 in arrears as well as $1500 in fines.

We aren't clear yet on where they came up with this figure since the court order clearly states that the arrears is set at $4600 and other than that he is current on all payments.

how do we get them off our backs? There is no way he can come up with $21,000 to satisfy their demand and he shouldn't have to since he does not owe it.