Yes, you are right on many levels. They do not have a formal child support order because every time she asks about it he threatens to take the child. I just got off the phone with her and she is angry and I am glad. She'll get a lot accomplished now that she's more clear. She's been writing and writing about things to bring up and this threat about child support is definately on the list. The more we talk about it, the more clear it is that he will be spinning his wheels. Most of all, she is curious about WHY he is doing this and WHY now? What's the motivation? Oh yes, he has stipulated in all his papers that she will get to claim the child on her taxes one year and him the next. Isn't that an odd thing to bring up when he is supposedly so concerned about his son? How odd is it that it's occuring at tax time? It's coming together...he's a new daddy with a new wife, going to school full time and working part time...he needs the cash....and that SSI check won't hurt either, will it?

I hate to think the motivation for all this is cash but people have done worse for less. He doesn't care about this child, never has. When my friend was in labor, the daddy was on the couch in front of the TV. She begged him to take her to the hospital and his reply was this: "Why should I? I didn't want the little bastard in the first place." Nice. The only way she got him to go to the hospital was to threaten to not give the child his last name.

You get the idea. The guy is a jerk. Lazy. Selfish. Always has been. Always will be.