Parents in Houston, Texas, as well as in the rest of the country, have an obligation to raise their child properly and to provide care for and fulfill all the needs of their child. When parents divorce each other, they will need to resolve the issue of child custody, and in most of these cases one of the parents will be required to pay child support. In Texas, the amount of a regular child support payment may depend on the number of children and the needs of the child, such as the child’s everyday expenses and health care. The parent’s child support obligations must be paid, or serious consequences will follow.
Reportedly, a former hand surgeon from Houston, Texas, was taken into custody because he wasn’t paying his child support. In addition to his regular practice, the hand surgeon also founded a national chain of carpal tunnel clinics. However, he lost his medical license in 2006 after he tested positive for cocaine.
Reportedly, the surgeon faces charges for violation of a child support order and was incarcerated in the Harris County Jail. His bail was set at $500,000.
Child support obligations are supposed to cover the needs of the child. As such, if a parent does not pay the child support as ordered, it can cause a big problem for both the custodial parent and the child. The supporting parent’s failure to pay child support may force the government to get involved so as to force the parent to pay. The government may issue a child support withholding order to the non-custodial parent. Other methods may include intercepting tax refunds or confiscating real estate and personal belongings. In the worst case scenario, the non-custodial parent may be subject to imprisonment.
If the parent who is ordered to pay support is having a difficult time paying, the parent may be able to ask for a payment modification. Generally, the courts will listen to what the parent has to say in the event of a justifiable request for modification.
Source: Houston Chronicle, “Hand surgeon in jail on child support case,” Mike Glenn, Mar. 4, 2013