Child support can make a big difference in the lives of custodial parents and their children, but a child support order can be difficult for the parent who has to pay it. Things get worse for them if they fall behind on payments. There are several methods of enforcement for a child support order.
A range of options
- Income withholding: Income withholding is one method of child support enforcement. Employers or others who pay the paying parent are required to withhold a certain amount for child support. Income can include personal holdings; workers’ compensation benefits; unemployment compensation benefits; disability or sick pay; pensions; private or government retirement benefits; annuities; allowances; insurance proceeds; lottery prize winnings; trust fund or endowment; lump sum payments; assets in a financial institution; or any other payment or money. Income withholding may be increased to pay past due child support.
- Tax offsets: Tax offsets allow for the interception of unpaid child support from state or federal tax returns. Lottery winnings may also be intercepted to pay unpaid child support.
- Credit reporting: Credit reporting may be made for past due child support.
- Professional license suspension: The licenses of non-paying parents may be suspended for a failure to pay child support.
- Contempt and other court proceedings: Parents who fail to pay child support may face contempt proceedings and other court proceedings, including potential criminal proceedings.
There are a variety of different family law resources available to help parents with child support, including child support modifications or child support enforcement. Parents should be familiar with the different ways that family law tools can be a benefit to them.
