I ve stopped paying child support. When I stopped paying, my ex said she didn t want anything from me anymore, including support. Your ex-wife may be able to take you to court and collect both current and past due child support. In most states, a parent who s receiving child support may not refuse visitation because of the other parent s nonpayment of his or her support obligation. Likewise, a parent who s ordered to pay support can t stop paying because of the other parent s refusal to allow visitation.
Visitation is deemed the right of a parent, as well as the right of a child, and is imposed by law.
The duty to pay child support and the right to visitation are independent of one another. They re separate rights and duties. A court may, however, take into account the facts and circumstances of your case. A Missouri court recently ruled that a father wasn t liable to pay child support where the mother misled him about his visitation rights. The mother lied to the father by telling him that she and her new husband had adopted the child, terminating any rights and liabilities he had to the child.