2023 Delaware Code › Title 11 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure › Chapter 5. SPECIFIC OFFENSES › Subchapter V. Offenses Relating to Children and Vulnerable Adults › § 1113. Criminal nonsupport and aggravated criminal nonsupport.

§ 1113. Criminal nonsupport and aggravated criminal nonsupport.
(a) A person is guilty of criminal nonsupport when that person knowingly fails, refuses or neglects to provide the minimal requirements of food, clothing or shelter for that person's minor child. Criminal nonsupport is a class B misdemeanor unless the person has previously been convicted of the same offense or the offense of aggravated criminal nonsupport, in which case it is a class A misdemeanor.
(b) A person is guilty of aggravated criminal nonsupport when, being subject to a support order, that person is delinquent in meeting, as and when due, the full obligation established by such support order and has been so delinquent for a period of at least 4 months' duration. Aggravated criminal nonsupport is a class A misdemeanor, unless any 1 of the following aggravating factors is present, in which case aggravated criminal nonsupport is a class G felony:
(1) The person has previously been convicted of aggravated criminal nonsupport;
(2) The person has been delinquent in meeting, as and when due, the full obligation established by such support order for 8 consecutive months; or
(3) The arrearage is $10,000 or more.
(c) In any prosecution for criminal nonsupport, it is an affirmative defense that the accused has fully complied with a support order that was in effect for the support of the subject person during the time period of the offense charged.
(d) In any prosecution for criminal nonsupport or aggravated criminal nonsupport, it is an affirmative defense that the accused was unable to pay or provide support, but the accused's inability to pay or provide support must be the result of circumstances over which the accused had no control. Unemployment or underemployment with justifiable excuse shall constitute a defense to any prosecution for criminal nonsupport or aggravated criminal nonsupport. Justifiable excuse may be established where the accused has been involuntarily terminated from the accused's employment or otherwise had the accused's income involuntarily reduced and is diligently and in good faith seeking reasonably appropriate employment opportunities under all the circumstances or pursuing self-employment.
(e) It is not a defense to a charge of criminal nonsupport or aggravated criminal nonsupport that the person to be supported received support from a source other than the accused.
(f) In any prosecution for criminal nonsupport or aggravated criminal nonsupport, payment records maintained by an administrative agency or court through which a support order is payable, are prima facie evidence of the support paid or unpaid and the accrued arrearages.
(g) A privilege against disclosure of confidential communications between spouses does not apply to a prosecution for criminal nonsupport or aggravated criminal nonsupport, and either spouse shall be competent to testify against the other as to any and all relevant matters.
(h) No civil proceeding in any court or administrative agency shall be a bar to a prosecution for criminal nonsupport or aggravated criminal nonsupport.
(i) The court, in its discretion, may order that any fine upon conviction for criminal nonsupport or aggravated criminal nonsupport be paid for the support of the person entitled to support. If a support order has been entered, a fine paid pursuant to this subsection shall be applied in accordance with the support order.
(j) The court shall order any person convicted of criminal nonsupport or aggravated criminal nonsupport to make restitution to the person entitled to support. The amount of restitution is the arrearages that accrued under a support order during the time period for which the person was convicted of criminal nonsupport or aggravated criminal nonsupport, or, if there is no support order, an amount determined to be reasonable by the court.
(k) As used in this section:
(1) “Child” means any child, whether over or under the age of majority, with respect to whom a support order exists.
(2) “Minor child” means any child, natural or adopted, whether born in or out of wedlock, under 18 years of age, or over 18 years of age but not yet 19 years of age if such child is a student in high school and is likely to graduate.
(3) “Support order” means a judgment, decree or order, whether temporary, final or subject to modification, for the benefit of a child, a spouse or a former spouse or a parent, issued by a court or agency, which provides for monetary support, medical support, health care, arrearages or reimbursement, whether incidental to a proceeding for divorce, judicial or legal separation, separate maintenance, paternity, guardianship, civil protection or otherwise.
70 Del. Laws, c. 448, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1;