Ex husband comes into almost $1M, still fights paying $500 for child support. AITA?
"AITA for putting my ex husband on child support when he won the lottery"
Pretty_Laugh_3153
To start this story off, I was married to my now ex husband for 9 years. I (37 f) and he (42 m) had a daughter who is now the age of 6. Me and him ended the marriage after I caught him in bed with his mother's friend's daughter. I didn’t want to divorce him as we have been together for a while now and we have a daughter together.
Why did he do it? Why did he wait until now to cheat on me when we already had a nice family life planned out. Well, those were the questions I asked myself but the divorce had to go on. In court, the judge ruled that my daughter went with me. I didn’t bother putting him on child support since he already had no money and was living with his mom.
I was the one fighting for him in our past relationship, so I could instantly tell he wasn’t worthy of paying for support. A couple of weeks flew by and I began seeing someone again. I knew it was too early since I had just gotten out of a marriage, but I just wanted to live life since I was almost in my 40’s.
This is the part of the story where I really tell you what happened. I was making breakfast for my daughter when the phone started to ring like crazy. It was my mom. By the non stop calling I thought someone had died. She began to start screaming "lottery" into the phone as loud as she could. My mom is old and she can’t say words just right.
That’s when my brother grabbed the phone and began explaining. He said that my husband was at the gas station early this morning and bought the lottery ticket to get an extra few bucks, and surprisingly he won. I began to look so shocked that my daughter could tell something was going on.
My brother also said to turn on the tv and watch channel 232. I didn’t know what this channel was but I could tell it was related to the news I had just received. Soon a man walked on the stage and began to congratulate someone. That someone was my ex husband. My daughter turned around to face the tv and began to yell out "daddy" at the screen. I began to nod as she was right, her father was on tv.
The news got out quickly and people surrounded my ex husband's house every day I rode past there. One night, I was out with my friend when she told me about an idea she had. She told me that I could get a lot of money from him if I filed for child support.
I didn’t really want to do it as I still had a good relationship with him and his family. But I guess since he had won the lottery that 500 dollars wouldn't matter to him. And so I did. The day after I finalized my request for child support, I was doing my daughter’s hair when I got a phone call. It was from him.
I answered the phone and by his yelling, I could tell he was angry. He began to call me every name in the book while screaming that it was unnecessary to ask him to pay child support. I began to talk and say that he had almost one million dollars in his bank and that it won’t matter. But he didn’t care.
I hung up the phone; I didn’t want to talk anymore. He kept calling, so I blocked him. But then, his sister began to call. She was saying that I was only out for the money and wouldn’t even use it for my daughter. She said that if I didn’t ask him to pay child support at first then why am I doing it now?
I thought I was an a-hole until I called my dad. He said that he and my family thought about telling me to do the same thing. And that it didn’t matter if he had won the lottery. I don’t know what to do. So I’m asking Reddit. AITA??
Here were the top rated comments from readers:
louluthekitty
He has an obligation to your daughter. Full stop. Honestly you should have done it since the divorce. Wether he could pay or not had nothing to do with you. NTA.
Trespassingw
Do you know what child support is for? For raising his kid. He is responsible for it, and you are responsible for standing for her rights.
tylersixxfive
NTA some of that lottery money needs to go to his daughter and this is a way to make sure 100% some of it does! I’d do the same! You where being nice in the beginning to help him out which is a lot more than you had to do as it is also his responsibility broke or not but shits changed and he can now it’s time to kick in that fair share at the very least.
Over_liesnnarcissim
Absolutely NTA!!! That’s HIS daughter too & now that he can move out if mommy’s and live like an adult, he needs to face his obligations as a man & father! Absolutely, 💯he should pay child support!! If he doesn’t think so, he’s a big POS than he sounds like!!
roxywalker
Remind anyone who says you’re an a/h for finally putting him on child support that when he had nothing, he paid nothing. Now he has something, so, he pays something. You’re NTA for adjusting the situation accordingly, you’re just doing what’s best for your child.
DottedUnicorn
NTA. You should have done it sooner. Children cost a lot, he is equally responsible, lottery or no lottery. Honestly I'd go after back child support too if he is going to give you a hard time. He should be wanting to help his daughter. You square those shoulders and get what you are entitled to in court.