Is the recession affecting your child support payments?

A murder-suicide this week has prompted discussion about whether child support payment disputes were a factor in the tragic end for a Tampa Bay couple. On Monday afternoon, police say Robert Laird shot his ex-wife, Sheryl Laird, set her body on fire and jumped off the tallest span of the Sunshine Skyway to his death.

The couple married in 1998, but divorced in 2006. Those close to Sheryl Laird, 39, knew she had a rocky relationship with her ex-husband.

Their divorce case was re-opened this fall. She wanted $17,880 he owed her in child support payments. The file shows she was asking for sanctions against him, including but not limited to jail time and a suspension of his driving privileges. A hearing was scheduled for tomorrow, Oct. 16.

St. Petersburg Times reporter Andy Boyle is working on a story about how the economic downturn is affecting divorced couples. We're looking for people who have felt some impact of the recession on child support payments. That includes people who receive payments and those who pay.

Are you getting/giving less money because of pay cuts, firings and furloughs? Let us know by e-mailing Andy Boyle: aboyle@sptimes.com, or by sharing your comments here.

Comments

[JJ]

I have a different situation...my husband has custody of his two kids from a previous marriage and has never received one child support payment! He has Child Support Enforcement working on the case but has yet to recieve a dime. It is upsetting to see because if it were the "dad" not making payments he would've been thrown in Jail years ago. I wish "Deadbeat Moms" would realize they have an obligation to pay child support as well.

[David]

Pay up! As a father who paid 15 years of child support there is no excuse to not pay. Your child is priority number one always. Leave the ex out of it. I Know it is a bitter pill to swollow but the child is your responsibility and you will reap the rewards later in life. your children are your most valuable possession!

[Bei Nacht und Nebel]

I'm one of those "deadbeat dads" that does not look for excuses to pay less. Beans and bread are enough for me to toot along.

I've made some budget adjustments. My visits to the laundry have tapered to once every two months and I even make my own envelopes out of scrap paper or recycle old ones to shave a few bucks off of the overhead.

In fact, I feel my paying power is superior to many. Unlike many institutions, my personal checks always clear and don't suddenly become invalid 180 days once they are issued .

[A.H.]

I'm not giving less in child support payments, but I am having to give up on a lot of other things because of the recession. There's no way in Heck I'm even paying a penny less in CS payments. If I did, my ex would try and put me in jail faster than I could say, "the checks in the mail." I've never been late, I've always paid what we agreed on, although I've had to go hungry a few nights because of it. I keep telling myself, it's not for the ex, it's for our child, and that seems to justify it.