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Send us a textEpisode 14Guest – Jeffrey MorganOn our fourteenth episode, I have a compelling story to share. Joining me is Jeffrey Morgan, a 51-year-old father of three from Sydney. Jeff's journey has been marked by significant adversity. He left home at the young age of 12 due to abuse and experienced homelessness, spending his formative years on Eveleigh Street in Redfern. As Jeff describes it, in that environment, ending up in jail felt almost inevitable. Adding to these hardships, Jeff faced the loss of both parents to cancer, and tragically, his sister and brother died by suicide. He also lived a period where he became one of Australia's most notorious bank robbers, collectively spending 20 years in and out of maximum-security prisons between 1991 and 2010. Beyond these well-known aspects of his life, Jeff also navigated the complexities of the child support system for seven years. Growing up as one of eight children with a single mother, Jeff recalls moments with his father, such as being taken to the BMX track every Friday afternoon, which his father likely saw as bonding time. However, in retrospect, Jeff understands his father's primary motivation was the TAB located next to the track. His father was a baker, and while that might sound appealing with daily access to pastries, Jeff reflects that the novelty quickly wore off. Jeff vividly remembers the difficult day when both his parents asked him which parent he wanted to live with, a situation where he longed to live with both. In a more recent chapter, Jeff experienced an unexpected hurdle while attempting to leave Australia for a prepaid $22,000 holiday in Bali. At the airport, he was stopped and taken into a room with an AFP and ABF Officer. To his surprise, he was informed that he had approximately $10,000 in overdue child support payments. A representative from child support, speaking via loudspeaker, declared that Jeff was not permitted to leave the country. Seeing a straightforward solution, Jeff immediately offered to pay the outstanding amount with his credit card. However, the child support representative refused to accept his payment. Astonishingly, the AFP officer intervened, pointing out to the child support employee that while a problem had been identified, Jeff had presented a viable solution for payment and should be allowed to proceed with his travel. To add to the shock of the situation, Jeff discovered he had a child he wasn't even aware of. Many years ago, he had a brief encounter with a woman, and this was how he learned he had a son. Despite Jeff's offer to pay the outstanding child support debt on the spot immediately and having the backing of the Australian Federal Police, Child Support still prevented him from leaving the country. Frustrated by what he rightly perceived as a misuse of power; Jeff spent the next seven years battling Child Support in court. Despite his repeated appearances every few months, each visit only resulted in a request to fill out yet another form. Understandably, Jeff often wondered why he wasn't simply given the correct form from the beginning. Eventually, the stress of this protracted legal battle led his lawyer to withdraw from the case. Fortunately, Jeff's situation took a turn when he found Crystal from Child Support Consultants. With 14 years of experience working within Child Support, Crystal now runs her own consultancy. Remarkably, she was able to resolve Jeff's issues swiftly and secure the removal of his (DPO) Departure Prohibition Order, allowing him to finally travel. If you're currently navigating the complexities and frustrations of dealing with child support, this is an episode you wSupport the show