DadsDivorce.com provides essential information and resources about divorce, alimony, child support and child custody to men and fathers at any stage of divorce.

I have a current order that says that I am to pay my former spouse $350 a month for child support. This is to the penny based on what the guidelines show that I should pay in Virginia. This does take into account what I pay for my son's health insurance also. My higher paying job was done away with in March 2005 and I started a new job the very next week I was released from my management position. I was released because sales were slow for the business and the owner saw it necessary to let me go (high salary) and for him to manange our stores himself. I am on a set "training pay" for 6 months then I will be on commission only. My set pay shows that I should pay quite a bit less and then, taking into account what I pay for my son's health insurance, now makes it even a little less. What I need to know is since we will not be in court until the end of this year and I cannot afford to pay the $350 a month since I do not have the "present ability to comply" due to my lower paying job for now, can I faithfully pay her what would be required by the guidelines and keep myself from getting in trouble for not obeying the current order that says I should pay $350 a month? Thanks for your items I purchased form the Dads Store. It has helped me quite a bit.

My ex-wife has been voluntary unemployed for three years. The kids are in school full-time. She went to court to collect more child support because of the fact she isn't working. The judge ordered her to get a job within 60 days. Since then, she hasn't really look for one and got an extension of 30 days. I have two questions: 1) How many extensions can she get? Can the court keep dragging this on for another decade when my youngest turns 18? 2) Does she have a legal responsability to help support herself and the kids (all her income comes from me through child support)?