That means for you to reduce his arrears to zero, you have to file a petition in family court, serve him, and assert to the support magistrate that you wish to waive arrears. The magistrate will double check to see if you're not nuts, and then will set arrears to zero.
No, a parent cannot decline or waive child support obligations in Missouri. It's the duty of both parents to support their child, whether as a custodial parent or a parent sending monthly payments. Once the court has ordered child support, that order stands until it is terminated or modified.
If a parent believes that a child support obligation should be terminated, he or she should write a letter to the local county FSD office, which can be found at the Missouri Child Support County Offices website. The letter should include the following: Parent's name, the other parent's name, and the child/ren names.
The good news is yes, child support arrears can potentially be forgiven. You would need to have a joint petition filed along with the other parent though, showing that you are both in mutual agreement and jointly requesting that the arrears be waived or forgiven.
A child support obligation terminates upon the following: The child dies, The child marries, The child enters active military duty, The child becomes self-supporting and the custodial parent has relinquished parental control,
It's important to remember that while parents cannot waive child support obligations entirely, they do have the right to request modifications through the Missouri Family Support Division (FSD).
If a parent believes that a child support obligation should be terminated, he or she should write a letter to the local county FSD office, which can be found at the Missouri Child Support County Offices website. The letter should include the following: Parent's name, the other parent's name, and the child/ren names.