Okay, more accurately, it was not an attack - which is what I would have considered negative. I know you understand the process as I do, some don't and Byz's suggestion will motivate some to find a solution where a solution is possible.

I saw your 'southerner' tag and found myself wondering where only because I have worked with Texas Father's for Equal Rights in the past. I do get the reality of the situation. Over 80% of all fathers ordered to pay child support are in complete compliance after three years while only 12% of mothers ordered to pay CS are in compliance after only one year - and yet, it's all about the deadbeat dads.

I broke up with a woman over her alcoholism and drug use twenty-four years ago. I learned that she was pregnant at the time ten years later when I was served papers for paternity. It turned out it was my child. She told me that she didn't tell me because she knew that the same man that left because of the drug and alcohol abuse would fight to have custody of 'her' child.

I flew up to meet my child three days after learning of her existance (before paternity was established) and on the last day of my two week trip my ex informed me it was a package deal, I didn't get my child unless I took her too. I was with my wife at the time...not possible even if I wanted to go that route. I declined and flew back, making arrangements to go back up immediately. The alcohol and drug use hadn't stopped, in fact, it had gotten worse. Three days later she had flown out of state to an old boyfriend and married him.

I didn't know that so I didn't think to look for her under a new last name. CS kept coming after me - to start with, for the ten years I had not paid when I didn't know I had a child, followed by current obligations. I went to the court and told my story but of course I was just a guy who didn't want to pay his obligations. I offered to start a trust fund for my daughter and put the money in there AND a matching amount in an account for her mother both available when my daughter turned eighteen so that she wouldn't just spend the money on drugs and become a worse mother than she already was. Denied. Then I asked if I could direct deposit it into her drug dealers bank account to save time. That didn't go over well and I was threatened with jail myself. Yeah, I was being sarcastic but heck... how frustrating.

I lost my daughter, CS or the courts wouldn't help me. I did learn some things I could have done but by that time she was almost an adult - few of us have the means to support ourselves, our families, child support along with a private investigator and attorney's. Fortunately, my daughter found me on the internet when she was 21 years old and we have a relationship today (and is how I know about her mom moving them out of state and getting married three days after I met my daughter). My daughter is in therapy now after a lifetime of abuse and suffers from PTSD, DDNOS and a host of other ailments which are just now beginning to be diagnosed.

Yeah, for the good of the children.

Anyway, I do understand. Depression might be one of the factors which are causing your lack of interest - as was implied earlier, what is left when dreams die off?