abandonment/parental rights

[jenjen]

state of florida


Father lost custody due to court findings of abandonment.
mother has custody and has past due child support owed to father.
Father does not pay child support and has left the country with no address.


question:

1. If mother has fathers parental rights terminated due to abandonment will she still have to pay past due support?

[socrateaser]

>state of florida
>
>
>Father lost custody due to court findings of abandonment.
>mother has custody and has past due child support owed to
>father.
>Father does not pay child support and has left the country
>with no address.
>
>
>question:
>
>1. If mother has fathers parental rights terminated due to
>abandonment will she still have to pay past due support?

No, because tomorrow everything could reverse. Mother could get killed in a car accident, father could return, and mother's estate would still owe father the money.

Best solution is to not terminate father's rights, get a support order against father, and just let the accrual of arrears by father offset whatever is owed by mother. This assumes that there's enough time left in the child's minority to allow this to happen.

If not, then I wouldn't worry much about it. Father is gone and unlikely to return or try to enforce the arrears owed. I suggest that you open an account and start saving towards the possibility that some day you may have to pay the arrears. If that day never comes, then you will have a nice nestegg set aside.