Voluntary Underemployment & Child Support (or Roy’s Very Bad Day)

In a prior post discussing dischargeability of a Dodge Durango Debt from a Divorce, I said that in the case, Howard v Howard, 2008-CA-001059-MR (June 12, 2009)(to be published) the Kentucky Court of Appeals addressed two important domestic support obligation issues. This post reveals that second issue.

As we saw before, Roy lost his argument that the deficiency judgment debt on his Dodge Durango was discharged through bankruptcy. As to his ex-wife Sondra, he remained responsible for the payments because it was agreed to and decreed through the divorce. That made it non-dischargeable as a domestic support obligation and so Sondra could pursue payment through contempt proceedings.

Now, Roy also had left a nice paying job as a federal prison guard claiming a medical reason. Apparently it was not a very good medical reason (or he failed to prove it up) because the trial court determined that his new employment at half his former wages was voluntary. Because it was deemed a voluntary reduction in pay, Roy was ordered to keep paying the same child support as before while earning half the amount of wages as before. He wouldn’t even be able to put gas in the tank of a Durango now.

In order to modify child support, the movant must show “a material change in circumstances that is substantial and continuing.” KRS 403.213. Judges have considerable discretion to decide whether a job change resulting in much less income is voluntary or involuntary. If it is voluntary then that person does not get a break on the child support.

But what if Roy really had a medical problem and could not longer work at the federal prison? Well, if his medical condition was legitimate, and it may have been, then there should have been a trail of documentation that was produced as evidence to the court. If Roy had that evidence, then he needed to pull it together and convince the judge. This is where it actually saves money in the long run to invest in having a good attorney. A good attorney would have either told Roy he was wasting his time because an ingrown toe-nail won’t convice the court, or she would have made sure the evidence was there.

Unfortunately, losing on the Durango Debt and losing on the reduction of child support did not end his very bad day. Roy also had to pay $500.00 towards Sondra’s legal fees. I mean no offense to any of my colleagues that may have represented Roy, and if Roy reads this I am sorry if it seems I am rubbing salt in the wounds, but had he invested in legal counsel knowledgeable in bankruptcy and family law, he could have saved a heap of money in the long run.