The Price You Have To Pay

by Mary
(Kihei, Hawaii, U.S.A.)

I found out I was pregnant three months after I split from my boyfriend. I did tell him that I was pregnant, but did not expect anything from him if he just left us alone. When my baby was a year old his new girlfriend convinced him to gain custody. He soon found out that I would have complete custody and now he had to pay child support. I didn't mind the support, but I did mind having to have him in my life. Afterall, we were not married, had never lived together, and he did not know my daughter at all. I always felt that a father was a person who was there for you, cared for you. All he seemed to care about was having to pay support, and how he could get out of it. When my daughter was a teenager he got married and tried to gain custody again. He had not seen her in years. By that time I had become disabled. The court increased the child support and I still had complete custody. The court had set the child support and stated that payment was to be before the 10th of the month. Our rent, utilities, EVERYTHING, is due before the 10th of the month. However, the State does not feel that child support is late until the last day of the month. By that time I have accumulated enough late charges to be in serious debt or have utilities turned off. The support is spread out in such a way that I cannot make a full payment on anything. The State worker says I have a choice; allow California to collect and put up with "to the end of the month" support, or collect on my own and worry about whether or not he will pay. I am surprised that the State does not uphold a judgement by the court. It makes it difficult to live.