Thanksgiving dinner might not be the day that one would expect to run into problems with the law. For one Illinois resident, turkey wasn't the only thing on his plate.

A 59-year-old man was arrested on Thanksgiving for owing $227,000 in child support payments for his four children. Now faced with six felony counts of failure to pay child support, he must answer the allegations in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

Authorities allege the missed payments date as far back as the early 1990s. According to the news report, authorities received information that the man would be found at a designated address prior to his arrest. The man will now have to confront the criminal allegations made against him, although he may wish he had previously addressed the underlying child support issues in a more direct manner.

There are many individuals in Illinois and across the country that are behind on their child support payments. Some of them may have good reasons for their default. In some cases, individuals cannot pay their child support because of unemployment, an injury or illness, but it is not sufficient for someone to stop paying altogether. The appropriate action is to ask the court to modify payments based on a substantial change in circumstances.

Those in Illinois affected by child support issues should investigate all the facts and circumstances, and then decide on the appropriate legal action to confront the issues. In many cases, working with an experienced attorney may prove to be the best course of action.

Source: Waukesha Patch, "Father Arrested in Illinois for Child Support Charges in Waukesha County," Sarah Millard, Nov. 30, 2011