The North Carolina Court of Appeals has called a man's faith "irrelevant" to his duty to pay child support. After Alexander County ordered John Lee Shippen to pay his ex-wife, Shirley Ritchie Shippen, $1,106 per month for child custody, support and alimony, he quit his job as a corrections officer and joined a religious commune. When he failed to make payments, the court found him in contempt.
Shortly after he was ordered to make the monthly payments, he quit his job and joined a religious group called the Twelve Tribes of Israel, which provides communal living and bars its members from earning outside income. Arguing that he was following his beliefs and could not pay $6,290 to purge the contempt order, he appealed.
Unfortunately for Shippen, the Court of Appeals didn't agree with his reasoning. But the state appeals court denied the appeal. "Defendant did not quit his job and join a religious community until after entry of the support order," Judge Wanda Bryant wrote. "That defendant's religious beliefs are sincerely held, as the trial court found, is irrelevant."
Lawyers with the Offices of David P. Sheehan are can help you determine your North Carolina child support needs or obligations. Call our offices today for a consultation.
