According to a report on Fox News, not all winners of the Powerball lottery are debt free. A man with the initials P.Q. says that he had to use a small portion of his new earnings to resolve a very hefty child support debt that he had been trying to pay off. P.Q. was the lucky winner of the $338 million Powerball jackpot, but he appeared in a state Superior Court in Paterson, New Jersey to pay child support debt to his ex-wife. According to authorities, P.Q. owed about $29,000 in back support. The father was not sure where that money was going to come from, until he won the Powerball and he now has cash to spare. P.Q. recently claimed a lump sum payment last week that is worth $221 million and about $152 million after taxes.
P.Q.'s child support debts are backdated all the way to 2009, and it is not clear which children are benefitting from the payments. P.Q. marveled upon the dynamic shift of his life after winning the Powerball. He says that in recent years he has watched the foreclosure of his home and has accumulated the child support debt that he didn't think he could afford.
Once he won the money, P.Q. was visited by police because of his outstanding debts. The Lottery Division has agreed to satisfy P.Q.'s debts before granting him the money that he has won on the lottery. Like P.Q., you cannot collect earnings from a lottery or many other financial prizes if you are not caught up on your child support payments. If you are a recipient spouse who has been awaiting payments that have not been satisfied, then you have the right to litigate until the payments that you were legally awarded are restored. Contact a San Fernando divorce attorney if you have concerns regarding child support debt and need assistance.
