Failing to pay child support is a serious offense in California. It is also a serious offense in other states as well, and even the well-known are not immune to prosecution. Last week we brought you the story of another former professional football player having trouble with child support, and now it appears another former NFL wide receiver, Andre Rison, is also having those same problems.
Rison is now a coach at Flint Northwestern College in Michigan. He pleaded not guilty to charges of failure to pay child support, and a trial date was set for Dec. 6. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Arizona, where the charges were filed, Rison is free on his own recognizance until then. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Arizona, where authorities allege he owes more than $10,000.
For many custodial parents, child support is crucial to the well-being of the child. When payments are not made, not only does the custodial parent suffer, but the child suffers as well. And in some homes, payments may be the difference between the child eating and not eating.
Many states, including California, are beginning to come down hard on those parents who do not meet their court-ordered financial obligations to their children. When child support payments become a problem for either party, consultation with an experienced divorce attorney may prove to be beneficial. There are often options that parties can explore in terms of child support payment enforcement as well as child support payment modifications for those who may have lost a job or are having other legitimate financial problems that prevent them from making their payments.
Source: Flint Journal, “Federal trial set for Dec. 6 on Andre Rison child support charges,” Ron Fonger, Nov. 1, 2011