As parents in Jackson and across the state of Mississippi know, child support payments can be a crucial factor in the well-being of a child. Unfortunately, however, not all parents who have been ordered to pay support do so. In a current case, a former Mississippi doctor is facing federal charges for allegedly neglecting to pay thousands of dollars in child support to his two children.

A warrant for the man's arrest was issued nearly six years ago in May 2006. The doctor apparently disappeared around the same time and was not found until recently. The U.S. Attorney's Office said the former ear, nose and throat doctor was caught early last month when he attempted to enter Mexico.

The doctor was handed over to the U.S. Marshals Service. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in a Gulfport federal court. He was being detained until a detention hearing, at which some expected the government would request that he be held without bond. His trial is scheduled for early next month.

Unfortunately, this is just one of many cases in which Mississippi children do not get the child support they were ordered to receive by a court. However, that does not mean all is lost. There are still ways of getting the child support you and your children are owed. Sometimes, though, the process can be complicated and confusing. In situations like this it may be helpful to seek advice from an experienced legal professional who is familiar with child support cases.

Source: Sun Herald, "Former Coast doctor held on child-support charge," Robin Fitzgerald, Dec. 27, 2011