My husband has been paying child support for 5 years he has wages taken
> form his personal check received from his employer. My husband lost his
> job back in Decemeber and is currently looking for work but has not found
> any thing other then odd jobs at this time. His ex wife keeps making
> threats to put him in jail even thought he has been keeping the children
> every weekend and recently had them for three weeks. He did provide cloths
> and gave his ex wife money to pay for his childs needs, yet she is still
> requesting the full amount that he had payed when working full time.
> Yesturday my husband received a letter from DHS stating his drivers lic's
> would be revoked unless he made payment for child support. Question-what
> is a father to do when he is trying to make efforts to support his
> children and the state/ex wife is still trying to take his drivers lic's
> and put him in jail? How will he work to support his children even more if
> not able to drive or put in jail?

As soon as a job loss occurs, and you get notification, immediately go file papers with the court for modification and reduction of child support until the job situation ends. Tell the court of the situation, that it will likely take up to 6 months to find a job, that you will give a proportionate share of unemployment or any severance for child support but that you cannot pay this entire amount and want the amount to be paid to be adjusted accordingly. Now this was not done immediately, go do it now in an emergency petition and seek to make it retroactive and set out in detail what he has made and how much has been spent on support. Do not get the kids clothes and stuff like that in a situation like this, save the money for support. But get to the court, halt the license suspension, get reduced support to be retroactive, and just go do it yourself and do not worry about an attorney if you have no money. hand write it out if you need to and just say what you have here, with some support detail and seek:
reeduction in support until comparable job is found with support to temporarily be set at a percentage of pay
- retraoctive reduction in support
- termination of the license suspension paperwork by court order

You need a more understanding ex, but just go to the court. It would have been better had he been proactive, but do the best you can now. I also suggest speaking with a local attorney. Most offer free consultation, so you can get a better idea of how to approach this in your area.

My husband has been paying child support for 5 years he has wages taken
> form his personal check received from his employer. My husband lost his
> job back in Decemeber and is currently looking for work but has not found
> any thing other then odd jobs at this time. His ex wife keeps making
> threats to put him in jail even thought he has been keeping the children
> every weekend and recently had them for three weeks. He did provide cloths
> and gave his ex wife money to pay for his childs needs, yet she is still
> requesting the full amount that he had payed when working full time.
> Yesturday my husband received a letter from DHS stating his drivers lic's
> would be revoked unless he made payment for child support. Question-what
> is a father to do when he is trying to make efforts to support his
> children and the state/ex wife is still trying to take his drivers lic's
> and put him in jail? How will he work to support his children even more if
> not able to drive or put in jail?
I feel for you, by law he has to pay child support, but then tell her if she send him jail how he will pay child support if he is in jail or he need his car to look for a job, as a taxpayer we are supporting people in jail and they live free and free food , i hope you try to get along with his wife and resolve your problems By the way tell him to pay $ 5 they wont revoke his lic,s .Darn pay some thing to keep her mouth shut, hope this work for you good luck

I don't know where you live but in Pa they can take all the money you have in the bank right now that you yourself need for bills to live. So if he is not paying child support while looking for a job, I would advise you to get a checking account in your name for the bills you have so they don't take it. This happen to my husband and I a month ago and believe me the courts don't care if you are just making it, they will take everything. I would have had to go to court and fight them to give me my money back because legally they are only aloud to take his but I would have had to prove some of that was mine. I just let them take it and had to go running to my mom and dad to bail us out again. My husband is working now and always has child support deducted from his pay but when you loose your job being a good Dad doesn't count for anything in the courts eyes. Be careful about modifying you support order because if he finds a job making more than before, his support will go up! Hang in there, you aren't the only one going through stuff like this.