When it comes to the payment of child support, nobody wants to find themselves in a challenging situation. This often means that one person is not meeting his or her obligation, which puts the other in a difficult spot.
If the court orders your child’s other parent to pay support, he or she is legally required to do so. However, this does not mean that your ex-spouse will comply. In this case, you need to consider your options for the enforcement of child support.
Thanks to the Child Support Enforcement Act of 1984, there is help to be had. If it is found that a person is neglecting to make payments as required by law, the district attorney has the right to serve this person with papers that outline the need to set up a payment arrangement.
If the person still fails to pay, the court has the ability to send him or her to jail. This is typically a last resort. Instead, these options are first considered:
— Wage garnishment
— Withholding tax refunds
— Seizing property
— Business license suspension
— Occupational license suspension
As you can see, there are ways for child support to be enforced. You may not want to go to this extreme, but if you are entitled to support you must do whatever it takes to get on the right track. The other parent has an obligation and must obey the law.
If child support enforcement is on your mind, it is likely due to a parent who is not paying his or her obligation. At some point, the court system may need to get involved.
Source: FindLaw, “Enforcement of Child Support: FAQ’s,” accessed Aug. 03, 2015
