Child support is an essential element in caring for your children after splitting from your co-parent. Unfortunately, if your ex is a deadbeat and failing to fulfill this obligation, this can put you in a difficult situation. Courts treat this as a serious matter and do not treat delinquent parents gently, which is why you should not hesitate to take legal action. The sooner you act, the sooner you can receive the payments that are crucial for your children.
Taking Legal Action to Enforce Child Support
There are numerous ways in which a delinquent parent may be compelled to pay child support, many of which depend on the severity of the situation, how much is owed, and the amount of time your ex refused to pay child support.
Here are some tools that are at the court’s disposal:
- A common tool for enforcing child support is wage assignment or wage deductions, which takes income directly from the delinquent parent’s paycheck, and distributes it directly to the custodial parent.
- If your ex is expecting a substantial tax refund, this may also be intercepted to cover child support.
- Many restrictions may also be placed on a delinquent parent. For example, delinquent parents may have their license revoked or be barred from renewing their passports.
- Lastly, a delinquent parent may also face jail time or steep fines if found in contempt of court. Generally, a custodial parent must go to court to obtain this order.
Additionally, there are some circumstances in which delinquent parents may face federal prosecution if they continue to refuse to pay child support. For example, if the delinquent parent has not paid child support for over a year, traveled to another state or country to avoid making payments, or owes more than $5,000, punishment can be considerably more severe.
Punishment in such case can include:
- Up to 6 months in prison for a first offense
- Up to 2 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for a second offense
Reach Out to Our Knowledgeable Family Law Team for a Consultation Today!
If you are not receiving the child support payments you are owed, the legal team at Simmons & Associates can provide the experienced guidance and support you need to achieve your goals and protect your interests. Our team understands the difficulties you are facing as you try to raise your children on your own, so you can rely on us to ensure the child support order is enforced.
Call our law office today at (405) 591-2284 to set up a consultation.