Old child support arrears holding up passport

Question:

Hi, I am a 100% disabled veteran who suffers from PTSD and a few other illnesses.I recently tried to get a passport to go to the Dominican Republic for treatment at a VA recommend facility there. The problem is I was denied a passport because of arrears child support, in which I have not talked to or seen my ex wife or the daughter in the past 20 years. They say I owe something like $25k which I know I don't owe and I also cannot afford to pay. So I am seeking an attorney that can help me locate my ex wife who had this child support and divorce granted without my knowledge when I was in the Navy back in the 1980’s by the way! I need an attorney to help me get this settled so I can get a passport to go get the treatment that I need. Can you help me with doing this and if not is there someone you can recommend that help veterans like myself get legal help who are on a fixed income? Your help would be gladly appreciated.

Jim's Reply:

In a lot of instances today, a child support order never expires. Even long after the child reaches majority, the obligor may be hauled into court and forced to pay all those arrearages. These rules and regulations vary a lot from one state to another so you're going to have to find someone to represent you in the state of record for the divorce decree. Now that they have found you, this can become a very big deal in your life and if you don't deal with it now, you can be assured they'll be looking for you in the near future. Click here to look for appropriate help in your region.


Source URL: https://www.statesidelegal.org/old-child-support-arrears-holding-passport