Child Support Enforcement Options

child support enforcementBy Rebecca Ripley

Baltimore Divorce Lawyer, Cordell & Cordell

Those who are court-ordered to pay child support and are unable to do so do not receive much sympathy from the court.

While there may be room for discretion or leeway in certain cases, it is a pretty narrow issue involving statutory guidelines, percentages, and a handful of formulas.

Generally, there are two courses of action a party can take to enforce a child support award: utilizing the state child support agency or filing a motion for contempt.

State Child Support Enforcement

The first is seeking enforcement through the state’s child support enforcement agency. These agencies use social security numbers and employment records to find non-custodial parents.

There are several reasons that this can take time. The major problem is that social security reports tend to run on a quarterly basis, or once every three months. So if the non-custodial parent changed jobs, it may take a while to receive the report that the party is working.

Typically, an Income Withholding Order, or some similar order allowing child support due to be taken directly from the owing party’s paycheck, survive even if the non-custodial parent changes jobs.

These orders can be sent directly to the non-custodial parent’s employer and can result in speedy results. If you do not have an Income Withholding Order presently, it is something that you may want to request should you find yourself back in court.

A state agency can also enforce a child support award by intercepting any tax refund the non-custodial parent may receive. The state can also take punitive action and suspend the non-custodial parent’s driver’s license.

Of course, if the non-custodial parent is unemployed, the state cannot collect from non-existent earnings.

Child Support Collection:

Garnishing Wages

Contempt of Court

The other course of action is to file a Complaint for Contempt of Court for the non-custodial parent’s failure to abide by the court’s order. This would bring the non-custodial parent before the court and require the party to show cause as to why the person is not abiding by the court’s order.

If found to be in contempt, the court will most likely require the non-custodial parent to take some kind of action, such as making a lump sum payment of owed support, to bring them into compliance.

Collecting child support can be a battle and can take time, but once child support has been found to be due, the arrears never go away until they are paid.

So, if the child reaches the age of emancipation and there are arrears (unpaid child support) that have not been paid, that amount is due until it is paid and does not go away regardless of the age of the child.

Remember, I am unable to provide you with anything more than divorce tips for men, so please consult with a divorce lawyer in your jurisdiction.

baltimore divorce lawyerTo arrange an initial consultation to discuss divorce rights for men with a Cordell & Cordell attorney, including Baltimore, Maryland Divorce Lawyer Rebecca Ripley, contact Cordell & Cordell.

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One comment on “Child Support Enforcement Options

    I have 2 judgments against my daughters father. We have been to court several times and each time it’s the same old thing. Child support enforcement has done nothing for me. I have had to do most of the work to get him violated. He owe’s me over $30,000 and as far as I’m concerned they dropped the ball. I know I will never see any of that money and I really feel that if they had done their job it wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand. Child support enforcement never took any kind of action on my behalf without me pushing them every step of the way. I honestly feel that the two counties responsible for him being so far behind should pay me the money he owes me and then figure out how to get him to pay them back. Maybe if the shoe was on the other foot they would really see the big picture.

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