According to studies, there is more than $100 billion in unpaid child support throughout the country. Custodial parents who are supposed to receive these payments are struggling to provide for their children, and states like Texas are considering a debt forgiveness plan that aims to help them out.

While it is preferable that a non-custodial parent would make child support payments on time and in full, the reality is that there is a large population of people who have neglected this responsibility. The proposed forgiveness plan would target those who are at least $2,000 behind in their payments.

For every $1 that a noncustodial parent pays in overdue child support, 50 cents of the total amount owed to each the family and the state would be forgiven. The 120 people who participated in the pilot program contributed an average of $100 more per month than parents who were not involved in the forgiveness plan. They also made more payments and settled their debt faster.

Despite the positive results of the study, some find issue with implementation of the program and find that to be the biggest challenge. It requires cooperation on the part of the custodial parent, as well. However, because the end result was encouraging, states such as Texas are considering implementing a similar forgiveness plan.

While this development may help those parents with a simpler child support payment plan, it may not be possible among those with more complex situations. If parents have fluctuating incomes or a child has special needs and requires more financial support, for instance, calculating these payments can be very complex and require the help of an experienced lawyer.

Source: Milwaukee Courier, "Child support forgiveness programs can be effective in reducing debt," Angela Yeager, Dec. 10, 2011