As too many custodial parents know, dedicated non-payors of support have a lot of tricks up their sleeves. In recent years, technology has inadvertently provided a new one.
In a relatively short time, the cell phone has become ubiquitous – and more. Not only does just about everybody seem to have one.
These days, some people have only a cell phone. In some cases, that just suits people’s perfectly legitimate, very mobile lifestyles.
In other cases, dropping their landline has liberated people, enabling them “to fly under the radar”, without listings of their phone or address in telephone directories.
This, in turn, has made it harder for custodial parents and support enforcement agencies to keep track of non-compliant, non-custodial parents who are legally obligated to pay child support.
The state of Maine is considering fighting back – with proposed legislation that would require cellular telephone companies to disclose billing addresses of account holders who owe child support.
Of course, the proposal has its dark side, which privacy advocates have been quick to point out.
You can read more about it in The Morning Sentinel and The Portland Press Herald.