A man was shocked when he was ordered to pay child support to a his
former wife for a child she had with her current boyfriend.
45-year-old Joe Vandusen received a letter from the Iowa Department of
Human Services, notifying him that he would have to pay support for the
child, although he is not the father.
The Davenport man is protesting the new state law that requires him to financially support the child who is not his.
Vandusen said that he and his wife separated 16 years ago, but never
officially got divorced. They both moved on to new relationships.
One year ago, his wife gave birth to a baby by another man, but the state is coming after him for child support.
Vandusen contact the Iowa Child Support Recovery Unit (CSRU) to say that
he is not the biological father of his estranged wife’s child and he
offered to take a paternity test to prove it.
However, he was told that it does not matter whether he is the father or not.
“They said that since I am still legally married, I will be responsible for child support,” Vandusen said.
A spokesperson for Human Services said that in a case like this, the
husband is considered the legal father of his wife’s child.
Other states have similar laws, which are intended to ensure that all children receive adequate financial support.
Vandusen said that he recently lost his job and does not have the money
to pay child support or for an attorney to file for divorce.
