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How is child support enforced?

On Behalf of | Nov 8, 2019 | Family Law |

Child support is important to children and their parents which is why it is helpful for them to understand how child support orders are enforced.

There are different mechanisms in place to enforce child support obligations, and help parents seeking to collect child support, but also different family law resources available to parents struggling to pay child support and wishing to modify their child support order.

Methods of enforcing a child support order include withholding federal or state tax refunds; wage garnishment; seizure of property; license suspension, including an occupational, business or revoking a driver’s license; and, in some circumstances, jail time for the paying parent if they are failing to meet their child support obligations. All told, there are many methods of child support enforcement to help ensure parents meet their financial obligations for their children.

In some circumstances, a parent may experience difficulty meeting their child support obligations perhaps based on a job change, change in income or becoming unemployed. In some situations, based on a significant change in circumstances, a paying parent may be able to successfully pursue a change in the amount of child support they are required to pay. Additionally, a parent receiving child support may also be able to request a change in child support if, for instances, there has been a significant change in the child’s life.

A child support modification should be requested promptly when the parent knows it will be needed and an existing child support order should be followed until the family law court has approved a change. Child support can be a stressful subject for parents but the family law process provides resources to help them through whatever child support challenges they face, including enforcement and modification challenges.