Social media helps locate non-payers of child support

Here’s something interesting to think about if you’re going through divorce or struggling to get child support from your ex in Massachusetts. Social media is a great way to stay connected, but social media can also be used in court.

According to a story from July 17, one mother reported that she has received only $189 in child support in over three years from her child’s father. This is despite the fact that the child is suffering from leukemia.

What does that have to do with social media? Apparently, the man brags that he makes a lot of money at his job, even though he says he can’t pay his child support. He shares that wonderful news on Facebook; shockingly, he’s now facing felony charges for refusing to pay child support despite his high earnings.

In one case, a mother chose to get a nose job instead of paying for child support, and in yet another, a man purchased a music studio instead of paying. Another man had paid his child support of $100 per month only once, even though his Facebook updates indicated that he had enough money to pay what he owed.

In one photo, he was holding up large piles of cash and even showed videos of him in his custom car. His defense was allegedly that he was ineligible to pay due to dying in a car accident. In his photos, he looks alive and well. When investigated, it was found that the man was not just unable to pay, and that meant he was committing a crime by not doing so.

These situations may be extreme, but it’s worth looking into your ex’s social media if you think there is foul play afoot. You deserve to receive child support to help pay for your child’s needs.

Source: WGN-TV, “Social media busts parents who avoided child support” Jul. 17, 2014