Behind on Your Child Support Payments?

Have you lost your job? Are you experiencing a financial catastrophe? Have you undergone a major life or career change? Has a natural disaster left you struggling financially?  If so, it is not surprising that you could be having difficulty making your child support payments. You may even be behind.

What To Do If You Are Unable to Make Your Child Support Payments:

If you are unable to make your child support payments, immediately address the problem by contacting an experienced family law attorney.  You may be able to request a modification of support. The court is aware that a family’s needs and circumstances change over time. Parents are allowed to change their child support arrangements to suit major changes in their lives.  However, the need for a modification must be addressed as quickly as possible in order to avoid consequences of not following the original order.

For more information on modifying a child support judgment, see our blog post found here:  https://stanley-wallacelaw.com/changing-a-prior-custody-or-child-support-order-is-it-possible/

Unlike many other forms of debt, paying child support is a legal obligation backed by court order.  There are a number of potential penalties that could be imposed for failing to fulfill the obligation.

Levies/Garnishments

When individuals fall behind on their payments, the state may collect the support directly from the source (or sources) of their income. For instance, the state could garnish their wages, levy their bank accounts, seize tax refunds or lottery winnings, etc.

License Suspension

Levies and garnishments are not the only adverse actions the state can take as motivation for parents to stay current on their support obligation. When a parent is in arrears on their child support, the state can withhold or suspend state-issued licenses such as a license to practice law or a driver’s license.

Negative Credit Reporting

The state may report slow payments or failure to pay child support to the credit bureau, which negatively affects the credit score and make obtaining future financing more difficult.

If you are having difficulty making your court ordered support payments or if you need assistance requesting a support modification, please get in touch with one of the experienced family law attorneys at Stanley-Wallace Law.