Law and order
Here is the story of one non-resident parent who didn't think we would pursue the money he owed...
The man, who lived in Plymouth, never denied being the father of his three children but despite being in full-time employment, he consistently avoided paying child maintenance.
We made several attempts to try to get money for his children by taking it straight from his wages through a deduction from earnings order (DEO). However, after saying he would start paying child maintenance, he regularly changed jobs, which kept stopping the DEO process.
Even though the father stopped working we continued to pursue him for the money he owed, at a rate he would be able to afford. We referred the case to a local magistrates court where he was ordered to pay £15 a week to his children until his situation changed; at which point his payments would be assessed again. Despite the court order the man still didn't pay any maintenance for his children.
We then applied for a Committal/Disqualification of Driving Licence. This was granted, but again he failed to pay the child maintenance he had agreed to.
Finally we proceeded with a legal case and the man was sentenced to serve six weeks in prison. He served 14 days of the sentence before his new partner settled the debt of nearly £5000 in full, meaning that he could be released. All the money recovered went directly to his children.
