Judge Orders NJ Powerball Winner to Pay $30,000 in Back Child Support

A man in New Jersey is now a multi-millionaire, thanks to the $338 million Powerball jackpot he won on March 23. Pedro Quezada, 44, is getting a lot of press coverage after receiving the fourth-largest amount in the history of Powerball winnings.

However, some of this media attention on Quezada has focused on how a part of his lump claim of $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes, will be going towards the thousands of dollars he owes in back child support. The sheriff’s office of Passaic County told CBS News that if Quezada does not cooperate with authorities in this matter, he would be subject to arrest like anyone else who does not fulfill their court-ordered child support payments.

In a court hearing on April 1 regarding these matters, Superior Court Judge Ernest Caposela ordered Quezada to pay $30,000 to resolve the child support dispute. Court documents show that the original child support order obligated Quezada to pay $141 a week, with his last payments being in August 2011 and July 2009. No information released describes which of Quezada’s five children, who range in ages from 5 to 23, receives the child support payments.

Every couple of years, our firm recommends a legal review of your child support order in order to seek modifications, if necessary, so that it reflects the current circumstances of the parents and child. Our Bergen County divorce lawyers can help you enforce child support payments if your former spouse is failing in their obligations, as well as help you revisit your original child support for modifications if a parent experiences a significant income change. Reach out to us by calling (800) 660-7483 or fill out a contact form located on our website to learn more about our family law services.

KGG’s Corner: In the state of New Jersey, you may receive a $500 fine for each violation and spend up to 6 months in jail if placed in contempt of court for not paying child support.

Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. – Bergen County Divorce Attorneys