How to get your Passport with child support arears?

[pushbrk 12,083]

I know this thread was pretty much put to bed last fall with the answer that you get your passport back only by paying the arrears, but it comes up from time to time, so while it's at the top I'll add a comment.

Please don't be judgmental of folks in this situation. Getting $2,500 behind can happen real quickly and for many reasons outside the control of the payor. In California, you lose your passport at $1,000 arrears. If this law were in place and being enforced in 1995, it would have been a disaster for me. I fell behind due to unemployment and illness and had been back on my feet paying 150% of my obligation to catch up for about a year and a half. I expect I was still 3 to 4 thousand behind when I got a nice new job offer that required me to obtain my first passport and travel internationally. If I had been unable to obtain one, or lost it at during that time, I would have lost my job and ability to pay all my child support much less the arrears. Fortunately that didn't happen and all that is well in the past. In this economy, I expect there are lots of women and men behind on child support, who are far from deadbeats and doing all they possibly can to support their children.

What I DIDN'T do when I was behind on my child support was to carry on a long distance relationship and remarry to a foreigner. I couldn't have afforded the travel or immigration expenses. My financial obligations and priorities didn't fit with such activities. Those behind in their child support, who complain about the impact on their new relationship or immigration process caused by losing their passports, may well benefit from some serious contemplation of or adjustment to their priorities. They really have no choice. The passport is gone until the arrears are reduced sufficiently to get it back. The impact will be whatever it will be. I'm glad it didn't happen to me. (losing my passport at a bad time)

[baron555 934]

totally agree.

But it is a good law....it is designed to protect the children, regardless of the parents' problems. The children, in these cases, always suffer.

[Pigpen1968 0]

The mother of my child and I are on good terms but I do owe enough child support from many years ago. I called Friend of the Court and was told if the Mother will send a copy of her drivers license with a letter releasing me from all past due child support It will not be a problem getting my passport. This I believe under the fact that she did not take welfare as I believe the payee is at least partially responsible for welfare given out and is looked at as debt to the FOC. I am only just now starting this process. If you have an ex who is willing to forgive your debt you might want to call the county FOC and ask around. I may have left out some details of what needs to be sent in to get your name off the list. Good luck. I cannot wait to get outta here. I had no idea there was such a provision to get a PP. I bought a ticket (RT) to Asia and then applied for my overnight PP for about $200. I got a call the next day telling me I could not get a PP because of back child support. Lost the non refundable ticket and they wouldn't refund me the $200 for the passport they wouldn't give me.

We all have different stories and reasons why we owe, some good some bad Don't jump to conclusions.

[TBoneTX 42,991]

Old thread closed.