As a result of the tight economy some families are feeling and extra pinch because of child support payments.  As kids2income decreases, unfortunately, child support payments do not decrease as well. While that is no different than with other monthly expenses, families feel the effect of this more because for many who pay child support, the amount is usually deducted from their weekly paycheck and they never see the money.  They are forced to live on the income that remains.
When they lose their jobs, they lose the automatic payment of child support and are left to try to find an income to not only pay regular monthly expenses, but also the child support, too. Men are hit hardest by this because more men are out of work than are women and more men are non-custodial parents and are therefore subject to child support payments.  What can be done?
Court Action    Some have chosen to petition the courts to reduce their child support amount.  This has produced limited results in courts that are slow to move and inundated with these requests.  Many courts are not inclined to lower child support amounts unless they see some aggressive action to try to replace the income that has been lost.
Mediation    Some parents have turned to mediation to try to negotiate between the divorced parents for a reduction in payments.  This mediation can be entered into the court system as an agreed upon choice by both parties which is a key to getting the support level changed.
Accept More Time    Non-custodial parents also have the right to ask for more time with their children, which should then be considered as a reason to petition the court for a lower child support amount, since the original support is based in part on the amount of time each parent spends with the children.
For some, there is no recourse and they have to find other ways to deal with child support.  Some non-custodial parents have resorted to having to move back home with parents in order to keep expenses at a minimum.  That way, they can afford the payments.
There is no clear-cut pathway to take as each case has its own merits.  The best way to approach the situation is to do all that you can to try to make changes to the child support amount without affecting the care of your children.  They have needs that they cannot meet themselves and it is the responsibility of the parents to provide for them, no matter what the economic circumstances may be at the time.
Should the time come to stand before the judge and give an account as to why child support was not paid, you should be able to provide a documented defense that emphasizes what you did in order to try to be able to afford the payments.  If the court views you as one who is just trying to avoid paying at all, that will place you in serious jeopardy with consequences that you do not want to have to face.