I am a divorced father. My ex-wife and I have a good and civil relationship. Yes, we did fight at first, blamed each other for the problems we had while we were married, but we have never used our son against each other. We understood the fact that our child was important to the both of us and he should not be used as a leverage tool against each other. It is unfair of either of us to use him in such a way.
When our divorce was finalized earlier this year, I understood my responsibilities as a parent. I understand the fact that I have to pay child support. Not only is it my responsibility, but it is my right as a father to ensure that my son is being taken care, by any means necessary. I have never taken that responsibility lightly, and I call my ex-wife to ensure that has been receiving my payments, on a regular schedule. Yet, when I received a letter sent by the Office of the Attorney General, I was taken back. I have been accused of being a dead-beat father. I, supposedly, owe over $16,000 in back child support for something that dates back to years before my divorce. Regardless of how many times I have called to inquire about, or to have something done about it, I get the run around, being told that they would look into the matter. Yet, three months later, my wages are still being garnished for more money than I have to pay, on top of being reported to the credit bureaus and the Internal Revenue Service. Financially, I have been ruined more so by this matter than my actual divorce itself. My name has been slandered for a mistake that the OAG refuses to acknowledge and remedy.
For someone who values family above all else, and has taken his responsibility very seriously, I find it irresponsible for an agency who sole duty is to uphold the law and to enforce the decisions made by the courts to not only allow this to happen, but to cause such a problem and ignore the fact that they are wrong. What makes this situation even more ridiculous is the fact that my ex-wife, who is benefits from their mistakes, has gone to them, several times, with copies of our divorce decree, insisting that they fix the problem. Yet, the problem has not been fixed. I am still having my wages garnished for more money than I am supposed to pay, making it difficult for me to pay my bills. I have not received, nor will I receive, the Tax Rebate from the IRS, because I have been deemed a child support evader. I will not be able to find a reasonable place to live, since I have been reported to have an outstanding criminal debt.
It sometimes seems like I now have the stigma of being a criminal because I have to pay child support. The fact of the matter is that I am not a criminal. I should not be treated like one. The real criminals are the OAG for not only causing this mess and refusing to remedy it, but also in the fact that they made false reports about this incident. When someone calls the police and makes a false report, they get arrested for obstruction of justice or some similar charge. Yet, when the OAG makes a similar claim to not only public offices but federal ones, as well, nothing happens to them. I find this mere fact ridiculous. The OAG should not only be held responsible, but also be held liable for any damages that they have caused.
