The Kansas Supreme Court ruled on Friday that Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) may be seized to pay child support.   In contrast, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) remains exempt from execution to pay child support.

If you pay or receive child support, you might be surprised at what happens when the residential parent’s income increases. You might expect that if the residential parent’s income goes up, the nonresidential parent’s child support obligation would go down. Sometimes, though, the opposite occurs.

Suppose the children with live primarily with their mother. If their mother gets a raise, their father might owe more child support, even though their father’s income stayed the same.

How can this happen? Kansas law calculates child support by determining each parent’s percentage of the total income available for your children. If either parent’s income increases, the total available for the children also increases.

So, if the residential parent’s income increases, the resources available for the children also increase. The nonresidential parent then shares a smaller percentage of a greater whole. Consequently, the nonresidential parent’s child support obligation might increase even though his income stayed the same.

Child support may be adjusted at least every three years, or more often if the amount changes by more than ten percent. No matter whose income changes, you should contact an attorney to recalculate your child support.

Presidential candidate Senator Barak Obama talks about the importance of fathers in the lives of their children. He also discusses the problems that arise when a father is absent.

Father’s rights groups suppose he meant to criticize fathers who choose not to support their children. That is certainly a part of his message. However, in this video his words could just as well advocate for courts to allow fathers to fulfill meaningful roles in lives of their children.

Last night I served as the guest speaker at Advice and Aid Pregnancy Center in Johnson County, Kansas. Advice and Aid provides practical, nonjudgmental support for young women facing an unplanned pregnancy.

For more than ten years I have assisted clients in their “Bridges” program, which serves single mothers of infants and young children. These brave women face a host of legal problems involving themselves and their children. Issues range over custody, paternity, child support, step parent adoption, and restraining orders relating to domestic violence.

Advice and Aid operate centers in Shawnee and Olathe, Kansas. They answer a 24 hour crisis hot line at (913) 962-2112.

Three pizzarias in Ohio have plastered their pizza boxes with mug shots of parents who fall delinquent on child support. According to Reuters, the program has already resulted in the arrest of one “deadbeat” dad.

Kansas enforces child support orders through the office of the court trustee. A parent who fails to pay court ordered child support may face jail time. This time is often served on weekends so that the parent may maintain employment to pay the child support.