Millions of Americans work gig-type jobs. These are contract jobs that some use for their full-time employment and others use to supplement their income. In either case, any income earned is income that can be counted when figuring out a child support order. Unfortunately, many gig workers try to hide their earnings. When this happens, parents in Michigan who are requesting child support can turn to a family law attorney for help in achieving a fair support order.
As it currently stands, many child support-owing parents across the country are behind in their obligations — $114 billion behind to be exact. Many of them claim the inability to pay due to lack of funds. But do they really lack the funds? In some cases the answer may be yes, but in others the answer is no.
Approximately 2.5 million Americans have contract jobs. In Michigan, employers of contract employees are not required to report their wages to the state or take pay from contract employee pay checks in order to pay child support. Gig workers are required to do this themselves, but many do not. This means that those who owe child support can easily hide income in order to lower the amount they are required to pay.
For a parent who is supposed to be receiving child support, it can be infuriating to see the other parent living a certain lifestyle yet claim to have no money to pay child support. Thankfully, this is not something that they have to let slide. A family law attorney can help parents in Michigan not only fight for sufficient support orders, but also pursue enforcement options when the paying parent fails to live up to his or her end of the court order.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Gig Economy Gives Child Support Scofflaws A Place To Hide“, Jen Fifield, Dec. 1, 2017
