Deadbeat mom ordered to pay child support

JOHN THOMPSON

A judge threatened to throw an Iqaluit woman in prison last week for refusing to pay child support to her estranged husband.

“You’re defying this court, and there’s only one solution to that, and that’s putting you in jail for a while,” Justice Earle Johnson said in the Nunavut Court of Justice on Thursday last week.

The woman, known as O.N., is seven months behind child support payments she owes her estranged husband, known as T.M. The two lived together for 18 years, until O.N. left her husband two years ago. She now lives with another man who supports her.

During a hearing last October, Johnson ordered O.N. to begin providing $376 a month to T.M, starting November 1. She now owes $2,632.

Johnson asked O.N. what effort she’s put into finding a job since October. “None,” she replied, “Because knowing him, it won’t go to the kids.”

“That’s not your choice to make,” Johnson said. “That shows contempt. My next step is to send you to jail.”

Johnson also criticized the woman for filing a financial disclosure statement that contains almost no information.

“This is absolutely a waste of time to file this,” Johnson said, holding the blank statement in the air.

O.N. said she wants to buy food vouchers for the children, instead of providing money to her ex-husband. Johnson said she had no choice.

“That’s the whole idea of it going to the [Family Support] office,” Johnson said.

“You can’t sit back and be the judge, as to how the money is spent.”

During an interview, the estranged husband said the missing child support money is sorely needed. He supports three children with a net income of only $2,451 a month, which he earns from a full-time job. He added he’s still paying off debts incurred from living with his estranged wife.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “I have the choice of going into debt, or providing for my kids.”

Until three years ago O.N. did work, earning $10 to $12 an hour, or between $19,500 to $23,400 a year. In court last week, Johnson said he had trouble believing O.N. is unable to work now.

“Surely you could have found something,” he said.

Marcel La Flamme, a family support lawyer, recommended that O.N. be found in contempt of court if no progress was made by her next court appearance, on June 8.

Johnson stopped short of committing to this timeline, but said, “If nothing significant happens, I can say it gets likely a decision like that will be made.”