There’s a gradient of deadbeat dad out there.

On the one end, you’ve got the extreme cases that just straight up disappear and dodge every law and decency.

On the other end, you’ve got those abiding by some of the rules, some of the time, but just not really being a dad.

Judge for yourself where the father in this story belongs.

Because he’s not doing right by his kid or his ex, but he’s technically doing what’s legally required.

Let’s read all the details.

WIBTAH If I told my sister the reason her Ex can’t pay for childcare for their kid is because he bought his stepdaughter a new car?

My sister (39 F) and her Ex (50M) had a rough divorce, but she always trusted him to do the right thing for his kid.

He was a successful business owner, but had the business is in his father’s name so he was paying taxes and collecting a salary as an employee.

His child support ended up based off of that measly amount he claimed as income.

He did the right thing…until he didn’t.

For a while he helped pay for dance class, part of child care and would absolutely spoil his daughter for birthdays.

He got remarried, and this is when things changed.

First it was dance class payments, then it was his part of the child care fees he can’t pay.

The real gut punch was when he did nothing for his daughter’s birthday, not even a birthday card.

My sister handled all of it with grace, assuming that he had another family to care for and given the current economy, times really were hard for everyone.

Then came the bombshell:

They mutually removed each other on social media so my sister only knows he is married but she doesn’t care to know much else about his life.

I am still a friend on socials so I was able to see that he was tagged in a post a few days ago that basically said “So grateful for my husband getting (step daughters name) the best grad gift”.

Sure enough it was his step daughter standing in front of a brand new luxury car.

So what’s their responsibility now?

I truly don’t know what to do with this information.

A part of me wants my sister to know that her Ex is scum and he is not struggling.

However the other part of me knows how hurt she will be, and in all honesty I don’t think there is anything she can do about it.

He is technically paying the child support he was ordered to, but all the extra (which in reality should have been child support) is really up to him to do.

So if I tell her WIBTAH or if I don’t tell her WIBTAH?

That’s a tough position to be in. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, but does her sister deserve to know the truth?

Check out what the comments on Reddit had to say:

This person thinks she should tell all.

A lot of legal routes were suggested:

Some of which might even work:

But the truth will get out.

That could be a game changer for child support!

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.