Wife to sue Ontario Family Responsibility Office for suicide of man who couldn’t pay

[Randy Hosking]

By heather - Last updated: Monday, December 6, 2010


New Ontario child support enforcement is a Catch-22
The Government of Ontario has taken new steps to enforcing child support payments, namely the most recent: driver’s licenses can be suspended for not paying child support, and cars can now be impounded – removing the ability for payers to get to work at all to earn the money to make payments.
In late August, a London, Ontario man committed suicide by laying down on nearby train tracks. His common-law wife is planning on launching a lawsuit against the Ontario Family Responsibility Office, whom she holds responsible for his death.
The man’s ex-wife and mother of his two now-adult children (ages 18 and 21) owns a home, a car, and has a job, and the man had been paying child support since 1996. A truck driver, the man had recently become unemployed and missed two support payments, which began a downward spiral of events that prevented him from ever catching up.
License suspended for not paying child support
Work soon became available, but the man’s commercial license was suspended by the Ontario Family Responsibility Office, who demanded a $1,500 payment to reinstate the license. Without a license, he could not earn the money to get his license back and no negotiating with the Family Responsibility Office got him anywhere – not even when it was done on his behalf by an MPP or an ombudsman.
Eventually, he represented himself when the Family Responsibility Office took him to court and demanded $10,000 or almost 200 days in jail – both options that would severely impede his ability to get his license back and continue making child support payments – all for $4,000 in child support payments.
Facing child support payment problems in Ontario?
The Ontario Family Law system is notoriously slow to recognize changes in income for child support-paying parents. Now that the stakes are even higher and a missed payment can result in loss of income, consult a family lawyer to discuss your child support options.

Wife to sue Ontario Family Responsibility Office for suicide of man who couldn’t pay child support | Family Law and Divorce Blog by Niren and Associates

[Randy Hosking]

The Attourney Generals Office is also responsible for these horrible crimes against non-custodial parents. The FRO program is nothing more than a “Cash Cow” for the provicial government. It makes me sick to hear about this story. I have been dealing with those criminals for over 20 years ( my daughter is almost 22 now, works full time and has her own place) yet I’m still required to pay support. Many times I have had suicidal thoughts throught the years and it tears me up inside to hear about this tradgety. My prayers go out to the children of his family.

[AtALoss]

Hi Randy, Nice to see you again.
Hang in there FRO's day is coming. Our case that we have talked about is going to be heard as well. Right now we are just waiting to hear from our lawyer with the exact date he is setting up for september this year.
I know how you feel about these people all too well. I am just glad that people like us are speaking up.

Karen & Richard

[karmaseeker]

I notice this was Dec 2010 - any follow up or action yet?

[AtALoss]

Hi Karmaseeker
I wrote to them asking about the case. If I here back I let you know.