Family Law

Want to work at home and make thousands, lawyer's ad asks? Have a baby, dump dad

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Print.

“Do you like to work at home? Would you like to make thousands a month?” asks an ad placed by El Paso, Texas, lawyer Mark T. Davis.

Have a baby, get rid of the father and “get the money,” then spend the funds on “drinking, expensive restaurants and clubs,” reads the ad, which is actually targeted at noncustodial fathers, according to KFOX14.

“If this sounds familiar to you guys, please do give us a call,” the ad states. “It isn’t a fair world, so even the odds and lawyer up!”

In an interview with the station, Davis mentions a Texas attorney general’s office child support program that issues debit cards to custodial parents.

“What this poster brings up is a serious problem, there’s no accountability,” Davis says. “Where can they use that credit card? At any bar they want to in El Paso, they’re accepted at bars all over and you can charge drinks on it all night, they can buy drinks for their new boyfriend or maybe even a pair of new sunglasses.”

He mentions a client paying $1,400 a month in support for a 6-month-old child. While some parents may disagree, given the costs of child care (as reported by this recent Bloomberg article) formula and diapers, Davis says it’s “impossible” to spend $1,400 a month on an infant.

Mary Gonzalez, a Texas state representative, told KFOX14 that the debit cards get custodial parents funds for their children quickly, which is why the program is in place. According to her there’s no process to monitor how the money is spent, but the state legislature may examine the current law.

Give us feedback, share a story tip or update, or report an error.