DADI.org

To: City Desk

Contact: Jeffery M. Leving, 312-296-8656 or Rich Tanis, 312-807-3990

CHICAGO, Oct. 31 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Divorced or separated fathers who are reservists and guardsmen called to active duty could face arrest or jail time for non-compliance with unmodified, court ordered child support.

Plucked from civilian lives and jobs at much higher pay, these servicemen for the most part earn substantially less on military pay, yet carry the same monetary child support obligations when deployed to serve their country.

With a lack of time to retain counsel and immediately file a motion for support modification reflective of their impending or current circumstances, upon their return these reservists and guardsmen face a heavy economic burden, stiff penalties and interest, and the very real possibility of jail time for non-payment or insufficient payment of child support.

A first meeting on an initiative for reform was held in Wheaton on Wednesday, Oct. 22, with representatives and officials from the States Attorneys and Attorneys General, Illinois Department of Public Aid offices, representatives from Lt. Governor Pat Quinn's office and the Citizen's Advocacy Center, military officials from Washington, and noted fathers' rights attorney and author Jeffery M. Leving participating.

A second meeting of this task force is scheduled for Wed., Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. with these and Pentagon officials expected in attendance.

Initially, says Leving, the task force is trying to initiate an administrative procedure that would allow reservists and guardsmen to contact the Attorney General's office, acting on behalf of the Department of Public Aid, to file for child support modification retroactive to their date of deployment. "Currently, a motion for child support modification can only be retroactive to an actual date of filing," says Leving. "And when that ability to file has inherent constraints and obstacles, there's an obvious unfairness to these reservists and guardsmen, who are truly among America's heroes, men who are putting a lot on the line for their country and our principles of freedom and democracy. When they come home we can't be saying to them, 'Thank you for serving your country. You're under arrest.'"

While this initiative is a good initial measure, Leving plans to draft legislation that would make such retroactivity automatic. "Our Illinois reservists and guardsmen have enough to contend with, focusing on their mission and avoiding hostile fire," says Leving. "They shouldn't have to worry about this 'friendly fire' of what amounts to a ticking time bomb waiting for them back home."

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