Something that really does piss me off is men who go through all sorts of contortions to avoid paying child support to their former partners. I mean, they are the father’s kids too, and you’d think these guys would have some interest in ensuring they are properly looked after. But no, often getting revenge on the ex takes precedence over the kids.
Simon Sywak is one such man. He was a hedge trader with JP Morgan who earned more than $500k a year. His marriage ended unhappily in 2005 after 8 years and 2 children. Mrs Sywak was granted the family home and monthly maintenance of £2750 from her former husband’s income of more than £250,000 a year. He paid maintenance for two years, but in 2006 the payments stopped suddenly when he argued that he had abandoned trading and was unemployed and training to become a bus driver as well as thinking about writing a book.
The banker then proceeded to use his legal proceedings against his former wife to stop paying maintenance. Ms Sywak, who was immediately suspicious that her high-flying, wine-loving former husband would tone down his lifestyle, hired a private investigator who tracked him down in Singapore. He was caught out when was filmed by a private investigator and was seen accepting flowers at his office with a card which stated "Thanks for everything". Despite being caught, he continued to refuse to pay maintenance and not only brazened it out for several months but continued a court case against his former wife in the hope that delays would bankrupt her.
He was recruited by Westpac as a derivatives trader in Sydney after leaving his job with JP Morgan in Singapore. Westpac sacked him last year, three days after the it was reported that he had been pretending to be training to become a bus driver to avoid paying child maintenance. He argues that Westpac owes him at least $1.3 million, a sign on bonus for starting his new job with them. Westpac terminated him 3 weeks before this payment was due. He is suing them, arguing that the terms of his contract meant he could be sacked only for fraud or other illegal conduct, and not for matters involving his personal life.
Hopefully the court acts with commonsense and decency, and finds against him. Busted, being an unethical prick, I think gives the company plenty of grounds to sack him. Scumbag.