Divorced Dad Who Doesn’t Want To Pay Child Support Asks Judge For Full Custody & Every Holiday
Oh, the irony.
fizkes / Shutterstock Divorce and custody battles can be stressful on both the parents and their children, but what makes it more difficult is when the father wants sole custody of his child when he can’t even pay child support.
A divorced father who doesn’t pay child support tried to sue his ex-wife for full custody of their son.
Jessica Bailey Hassan recently shared a virtual custody hearing in Georgia on TikTok. The case involves a man suing the mother of his child for full custody of their son. The irony of it all? He refused to pay child support, yet wanted to fully support his son financially.
As of the date of the hearing, the mother had full custody, and the father could only see his son every other weekend and every other holiday. Claiming to want more time with his son, the man filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife.
When the judge asked how he would support his son, the man said he was planning to marry his current fiancée and enlist in the military. In other words, he asked for his son to potentially live in an unknown location, where he would be in the hands of a new woman as opposed to his mother.
It’s important to note that the man had no evidence of enlisting in the military, and he had not even applied. Rather, he appeared to be using this potential job change as an attempt to prove his hard-working character, but the judge saw right through his lies.
The judge denied him custody if he chose to enlist in the military, and asked the man to suggest an alternative option. “Giving you custody with you going to the military is a no. It's too speculative, and I'm not uprooting a child's life because you want to come get him and take him to the military. That's not happening,” the judge stated.
The man played word games with the court and reiterated his desire to have more time with his son, rather than suggesting a viable plan.
“I don’t want to pay child support, I want to pay my son,” the man claimed. He stated he would rather create a trust fund for his son that could build equity than pay child support, which would essentially cover all of his son’s financial needs.
To make matters worse, when the mother’s attorney asked about the father’s latest employment, the man lied under oath. He claimed he voluntarily left his last job, where he was paid $17.50 an hour working full-time for three years, to focus on his fiancée, enlisting in the military, and resolving this court case. When the attorney explained he would need to consider the man’s latest income to calculate his child support, the man suddenly protested, saying he couldn’t afford to pay.
The judge asserted that since the man claimed he voluntarily left his job, he would need to make these payments, but he then revealed he was let go from his job.
“He never asked if I quit, he never asked if I was fired,” the man stated, brushing off his lack of honesty.
It seemed as if the only reason he refused to make child support payments was because they were going straight to his ex-wife. “If you’re very interested in taking care of your kid … those funds will go to the mother so she can make sure that your child eats, sleeps, drinks, and has clothes,” the judge explained.
The man continuously showed no interest in paying child support, while he continued to demand sole custody. He stated if his ex-wife needed help with funds for supporting their son, she could "simply ask."
Meanwhile, the mother sat quietly and her ex-husband’s unworthy character spoke for itself.
The judge refused to grant the man full custody and showed contempt for his lack of credibility.
Based on his case, it’s telling that the father essentially wanted to receive child support from the mother and play house with his new family, taking custody of his son with the help of his new wife and completely removing his son’s biological mother from the picture.
Luckily for the mom, the judge could see right through his manipulative nature and refused to grant him full custody.
Photo: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock
“You’re telling me you want me to give you sole custody, you're about to go in the military, we don't know where you're going, we don't know how you're going, we don't know anything about your circumstances,” the judge expressed. “Why would I give you full custody?”
What the father tragically failed to realize was how this custody hearing could impact his son. No child should experience their parents' animosity toward each other.
The mother exemplified more responsibility for her child than the father. Through his attempt at taking full custody of his son and using this lawsuit as a personal attack against his mother, he showed his nature. Sadly, the true victim is the only innocent party — his son.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human-interest, and spirituality topics.