Maine Teenager Asks for Tougher Penalties Against Negligent Parents

A teenager in Maine went before lawmakers this week to fight for increased disciplinary measures for negligent parents. James Gillen, 16, wants to change a state law that deals with making child support payments. 

His battle is personal and is based on the $200,000 in debt that this father owed for child support. However, when a creditor took away the only asset that his father had to pay for different debts, Gillen's family was deprived of the money they could have received from the father. 

Gillen said that even though he is lucky enough to be from a financially stable family, "there are so many families who are not as fortunate as I am and can't recover from that kind of huge financial loss." His feelings are not shared by several lawyers and bankers who went on to testify in opposition. 

If you are having difficulty getting the child support payments that are legally owed to you, it is time to hire a family law attorney to learn more about your options.