I don't think having joint custody would get him out of paying child support. At this time, there is no custody agreement between my ex and I (we are currently separated, not legally separated). I went to family court and petitioned for child support and I got it without determining custody. Our kids live with me, so I believe child support is determined by who the kids live with. If you are the custodial parent (kids live with you) then he has to pay child support. If he is fighting for full custody the kids would have to live with him, if that happens, you would have to pay him support for the kids. However, this is my opinion and laws can vary by state. I would contact a lawyer, or if you can't afford one, maybe try to get free state legal help (I'm in ny and budget cuts took that away). Anyway, good luck to you, I know how you feel. I have taken care of my kids for the last two years while he galavanted around with his gf, barely seeing the kids. Now that court ordered support has come into play, he is freaking out. He is trying to get my oldest (19 in college but lives with me) to live with him so he doesn't have to pay her child support! He hasn't said anything about getting custody of the other two cause he doesn't want to deal with the responsibility ( the 19 year old can take care of herself). It was a long hard process and cost me money with an attorney, plus the system is so slow that I find myself waiting for money from the support collection agency. He actually had the audacity to tell me to call my lawyer and stop the court ordered support! yeah, ok.. I may have to wait, but I would rather have the court ordered support than begging him for money to take care of the kids.

I have a lawyer. I have court ordered sole custody now out of the divorce. Things were fine with this arrangement until he remarried and I asked for child support. The money was never consistent from the start, then he was flaunting this new gf around spending up money. So I said where is help for me with the kids. He didnt even want them around anymore, but fooled our mutual friends on facebook to think that he was a "good daddy"....blah, blah, blah. In my state, if the father can get joint custody and have the kids more, then he can pay less child support. Does anybody know for what grounds a judge will take away sole custody from 1 parent to please another? What dirty little tricks can these so-called "father-rights" lawyer pull out of the bag (besides lies)?