One of my old housemates went to crazy lengths to avoid child support payments. Signed away parental rights, worked just enough at this cash in hand day labor place to cover rent and eat off of food stamps, kept trying unsuccessfully to get on disability under the misguided belief that would stop the government trying to collect child support. Bragged to me directly about doing all of it. Like it was some genius plan to thwart the government.

Last I heard that housemate had come out as a trans woman and was trying to move into this commune out in like Colorado or Arizona something like that.

My own dad hid his income for years working under the table and arguing to bring his child support payments down until my mom was getting like $100 a month total for me and my brother. Claimed he was living almost entirely off his new girlfriend’s income and the child support payments were too burdensome. That all came back to bite him in the ass though when he tried to apply for disability and got denied because he hadn’t banked enough work credits in the last 10 years.

Some people will do nearly anything to avoid paying child support. It’s crazy.