When Seattle area parents get divorced, or have a child out of wedlock, each parent is legally responsible to support the child financially. Washington state has somewhat unique child support laws, causing child support issues to be a part of almost all family law cases involving children.

It is very important that a child support agreement is developed that is both in the best interests of the child and feasible for the parents to abide by. There are many parents who neglect their child support responsibilities. Some offenders are so delinquent that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently launched a website to help catch the "Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents."

At the top of the list is a New York man who allegedly owes more than $1 million in child support to his children from three marriages. Arrest warrants have been issued in his name three times on charges of failure to comply with a court order and failure to pay child support. He has reportedly attempted to get out of paying child support by under-reporting his income and even moving out of the country.

Generally, not paying child support is dealt with at the state level, but the federal government may choose to become involved after a certain point. The Office of the Inspector General may choose to intervene when: the noncustodial parent lives in a different state than his or her child and fails to pay child support for more than a year; the noncustodial parent lives in a different state than his or her child and owes more than $5,000; the noncustodial parent travels to another state or country to avoid paying.

Penalties for failing to pay child support include not only paying restitution or a settlement of the child support owed, but also fines and prison time.

In Washington state, child support is calculated based on the Washington State Child Support Schedule. Deciding factors include: income, cost of child care and health insurance, tax deductions, number or children and the amount of time the child spends with each parent.

It is also very important to note that child support orders can be modified if a parent experiences a significant change of income, parenting schedule or other event. It is always wise to make sure any modifications are legally documented, even when both parents agree to the change, to prevent any legal issues later.

Source: UpNorthLive.com, "Putting a face to deadbeat parents," Lauren Amstutz, Feb. 3, 2012