U.S. Representative Joe Walsh Still Facing Illinois Child Support Case

 Posted on April 09, 2012 in Child Support

Even as McHenry congressman Joe Walsh prepares for re-election this year in Illinois' 8^th District, which now is located in the west and northwest suburbs, he continues to battle his ex-wife's allegations that he owes her more than $117,000 in back child support and interest.

In December of 2010, Laura Walsh filed suit against her ex-husband in the Cook County Circuit Court, alleging that he owed her $117,437 in child support for their three children, two of whom are now adults. Although Walsh has stated that he had no ability to pay his child support, congressional campaign disclosures revealed that he personally loaned his campaign the sum of $35,000, at least part of which he has now repaid to himself. Other court documents allege that Walsh has maintained a relatively expensive lifestyle and has taken vacations to Mexico and Italy.

This is not the first time that Laura Walsh has claimed that Walsh failed to pay his child support and related expenses. Since filing for divorce in December, 2002, Laura Walsh has repeatedly sought court intervention seeking to garnish Walsh's wages, suspend his driver's license for non-payment, and order the immediate payment of the past-due child support.

In the state of Illinois, if you owe back child support, the state or the other parent can file a petition with the court asking that you be held in contempt of court. If a court finds you in contempt of court for failure to pay child support, the court can order certain remedies. For instance, the court can order that the parent's employer garnish child support payments directly from his or her paycheck, suspend the parent's driver's license, and even serve up to six months in jail. Obviously, the consequences of failing to pay child support are quite severe. If you are having problems paying your child support obligation, and are facing potential legal consequences, contact a Wheaton, Illinois family law attorney today for assistance.