I need some help regarding my cuz.

Here is the deal. My cousin is in jail right now for not paying child support. This is in Alabama btw. When he gets out he is ordered to pay 800 dollars a month in child support or he goes back to prison. Let me explain the circumstances.

Nineteen year old guy gets a girl pregnant, then gets married. Child is born and about a year later they split. My cousin worked to try and get things straightened out, marriage therapy and what not, but it was to no avail. After they split, then came the law. She is from a wealthy background, he is blue collar. She got a good lawyer, he didn't. Long story short, he got shafted, even though he tried to do the right thing, he really loves that daughter and knows it is best that she has two parents. The judge ordered 65% a month to child support from him. He couldn't pay, as he wouldn't be able to afford to live. On to the present. He doesn't even make 800 a month. Is there any way to get the judge to change his mind or is my cousin going to be stuck in prison until the kid is 18? If you have any questions let me know. He has messed up over the years but he is more deserving than what he's got.

I say payment to the people deserving of it is way more important than jail time. For this reason, I think putting people in jail that still need to pay other people what they owe them is one of the absolute worst things wrong with the justice system.
Another major thing wrong with the justice system is that somebody could be sentenced to a very long jail time or even the death penalty without any absolute proof. And by the way, blood, DNA, or fingerprints at the crime scene is NOT absolute proof. Any so called evidence that can be used to frame people is NOT absolute proof.

Tell him to get a DNA test done to make sure it is his child, regardless of how much he thinks he trusts her.

If he is the father and unable to foot the cost of child support then I believe there is a way he can request a hearing and provide proof to a judge that he is unable to pay.

Unfortunately for your cousin, family courts and judges are notoriously slanted to favor the woman (sad but its true) and they typically are not very flexible or understanding regarding the plight of the father. I have seen many good men's lives entirely ruined by ridiculous, draconian court ordered child support.

I had a former co-worker who's wife demanded a divorce, kept the two kids, moved another man into the family home where they each worked. My friend was not only kicked out of his own house, but his child support monthly was $1200, and after taxes he was only clearing around $800 mo after the support was taken out.

Around eight months after the judgement my friend shot himself because he couldnt afford to live.


I would say try the courts, petition for a new hearing and an income based payment adjustment. If that doesn't work, I would suggest Mexico. Better than prison or starvation.

Good luck.