Legal Question in Family Law in Texas
Upon divorcing, I received a judgment for $5,000.00 against my ex-wife which I have never been able to collect. I was ordered by the court in Bexar County to pay child support in September, 1999, which I paid up until Termination of Parental Rights in April, 2004. I received a letter from Bexar County stating that I have failed to pay ANY child support and that I must now pay from 1999-current. I have sent the termination orders to them for them to update the file. Because the TX child support division lost all records, I am frantically looking for old records to settle this child support issue. If they find that I do owe anything to my ex-wife, is there any way that I can have the judgment against my ex-wife for the $5,000.00 plus interest applied to the child support owed in this case? My daughter is now 18, she has severed ties with her mother and is now a part of my life. Please advise if there is anything I can do to have the judgement amount of $5000.00 plus interest credited toward back child support that I may be found to owe her because of lost records. Thanks!
1 Answer from Attorneys
You might be able to convince the OAG to settle with you with a deduction for the $5k judgment but I would not hold my breath to see that happen. The family court that signed the order terminating parental rights should be able to pull certified copies of the order for a small fee. Contact the court clerk and ask what that court's process is for obtaining copies.