U.S. v. Dann

This case raises a question of first impression: whether child support arrearages belong to a criminal defendant such that they may be assigned to a victim by a restitution order while the defendant’s children are still minors.

By Diana Shepherd, CDFA®Updated: May 18, 2020

U.S. v. Dann: A restitution order simply cannot redistribute child support — or accrued child support— where minor children are involved.

Child support arrears due to or held by the criminal defendant in this case was held by the defendant as a “conduit” for support for her children, and thus they could not be assigned to the victim of the defendant’s crime as restitution.

U.S. v. Dann

Laura Morgan is a Family Law Consultant. Laura is available for consultation, brief writing and research on family law issues throughout the country. She can be reached through her Web site.

Reprint with permission.

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Published on: January 07, 2012

About the Author

Diana Shepherd, CDFA®

Diana Shepherd has over 30 years of experience as a marketing, branding, SEO, copywriting, editing, and publishing expert. As Content Director for Family Lawyer Magazine, Divorce Magazine, and Divorce Marketing Group, she oversees all corporate content development and frequently creates SEO-friendly videos, podcasts, and copy for family law and financial firms. The Co-Founder of Divorce Magazine and Divorce Marketing Group, Diana is an award-winning editor, published author, and a nationally recognized expert on divorce, remarriage, finance, and stepfamily issues. She has written hundreds of articles geared towards both family law professionals and divorcing people, and she has both performed and taught on-page SEO for 20+ years. Diana spent eight years as the Marketing Director for the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts® (IDFA®), and she has been a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® since 2006. While at IDFA, she wrote, designed, and published The IDFA Marketing Guide, and she also created seminars for CDFA professionals to present to family lawyers (approved for CLE), as well as to separated and divorcing individuals. She has represented both DMG and IDFA at industry conferences and events across North America, and she has given marketing as well as divorce financial seminars at many of those conferences.

U.S. v. Dann

This case raises a question of first impression: whether child support arrearages belong to a criminal defendant such that they may be assigned to a victim by a restitution order while the defendant’s children are still minors.

About the Author

Diana Shepherd, CDFA®

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