Just not right

by Norman
(Prescott, Az)

Ok here's my story. My wife ran away before my son was one. for three to four years I couldn't see my son. I moved away to Atlanta. Within a month she wants to reconcile. I thought great. So I pay for air tickets for her and my son. The day she comes, she tells me all she wanted was the plane tickets. Naturally I'm upset. to be used like that. In any case her and her brother come over to my house the following day to intimidate me( you know what I mean) And naturally I press charges. A few years go by and my son with me now for a year or so, till one day she just up and takes him, like a dummy I should have press charges than but I didn't.

Many years go by and I have very little contact with my son. I move back to Az. I'm working to get in touch with my son. Lucky me I find out they moved back too. So far so good. At this time i'm jobless and homeless. I know thats no excuse, but I get a letter from the state saying I owe $13,000 in back child support, how the hell does that happen. No letter saying, hey you need to pay x-amount a month, just you owe. To skip to present day we finally divorced 3 years ago, 17 years not together. For 3-4 of those years my son was with me with no support form her. The judge ordered her to pay and it would be added to my arrears, which she refuses to pay. I'm not saying I shouldn't pay child support, he's my son and I know my responsibly. What I am saying is she made close to $80,000 a year for the past 11 years, and between being homeless and jobless i've never made over $21,000 a year. Child support takes half of my check every time even if it's $80 I take home $40. I know I left out a lot of details but can somebody tell me how is that right. I want to do the right thing but it seems like the state could care less about fathers.