 | Ms X is a sole parent and has five children, two of whom have grown up and left home. The husband left the family when the youngest was born and never paid any maintenance. Since then, Ms X has always struggled financially. There was never any contact between the father and the mother or the children. In fact, Ms X had no idea where the father worked or even lived. When they had lived together though, he was employed by State Rail.
The husband died last year leaving a maintenance debt in excess of $25,000. Ms X saw the death notice in the paper and tried to contact his family. However, they would not communicate with her and did not want the children to have anything to do with their family.
Early last year Ms X rang Legal Aid's Child Support Service on 1800 451 784 from the little country town where she lived in Western New South Wales. It was a call that would change her life.
At first, countless enquiries made to the Child Support Agency proved fruitless in getting enforcement or real assistance for Ms X. Office Manager Shirl Ackland and lawyer Eia Stanich-Lynam from our Child Support Service wrote to State Rail and spoke to several employees there. Soon after information was uncovered that Mr X had life insurance and the solicitor handling his estate was finally contacted. The Child Support Agency was then contacted with the relevant details so their legal department could put the enforcement issues into place.
The debt of child support was finally paid to Ms X and monies from the estate left to the children.
Just one free call to Child Support and an entire family's future was dramatically changed for the better! |
