Child support plays an important role in your ability to care for your children, so if your ex falls behind on these payments or simply refuses to comply with the court order, this can create some serious challenges for you. Thankfully, this is a matter that family courts treat seriously. Continue reading to learn more about how the court may compel your former spouse to pay child support.
Enforcing Your Child Support Order
As the custodial parent, you already provide a substantial amount of care for your children, which is why family courts typically order the non-custodial parent to pay child support. If your ex stopped paying child support, however, there are a number of enforcement tools that may be used.
Here are some ways in which child support may be enforced, depending on the circumstances of your case:
- Wage assignment or income withholding: Instead of income going directly to the delinquent parent, child support will be taken directly from these wages to ensure payment.
- Intercepted federal income tax refund: To cover missed child support payments, the state may intercept a delinquent parent’s tax refund.
- License suspension and restrictions on passports: In some cases, a delinquent parent’s license may be revoked or suspended. Moreover, the parent may be barred from renewing a passport.
- Contempt of court: You may also go to court to obtain this legal order, which can result in jail time or a fine for the delinquent parent.
If your co-parent left the state or country to evade child support payments, or the amount owed is over $5,000, the punishments may be even more severe. For a first offense, the delinquent parent may serve a prison sentence of up to 6 months and pay a fine. For a second offense, the prison sentence may be up to 2 years and the fine may be up to $250,000.
As you can see, this matter is not handled lightly, so do not hesitate to speak to an experienced family law attorney as soon as possible to get started on your child support enforcement case.
Reach Out to an Experienced Family Law Attorney Today!
If you are dealing with a deadbeat parent who refuses to pay child support, the experienced family law team at the Law Office of Russell S. Hershkowitz, L.L.C. can provide the skilled legal assistance you need to enforce it. We understand how important it is for you and your family to receive child support and will ensure you achieve the results you deserve.
Call our law office today at (407) 753-4111 to set up a consultation.