Wow! My ex took off in 8/2012 and I was still paying child support to her even though I had the kids full time.
Jumped through hoops with the state and eventually hired an attorney. We hired a private investigator to track her down and serve her a summons to appear. She ditched the first hearing. Tracked her again and she finally made an appearance. I asked for all the child support to be returned, judge said, No. I asked for future child support until the kids reach 18, judge said No.
I took 5 years to get her into court and she walked!
My girls won’t even talk to her now.
California?
The family court system is unbelievably one sided. Glad my ex-wife and I never had kids in our 13 years of marriage.