What To Do When Your Owed Child Support

Your owed child support…how do you get it? 

Most adults understand that child support occurs, in the case of a divorce, or if a child is born out of wedlock and the father is proven to be the child’s father, than they must pay a certain amount of money each month or each week to make certain that their offspring is provided for. As mentioned in other articles, generally the non custodial parent pays the custodial parent a certain sum of money. Judges will make a final determination of all the finances are regarding child support.  They will strongly attempt to assist a custodial parent who is owed child support.

Back Order Child Support

Back order child support occurs when a custodial parent is owed child support. For instance, if a father, or any other individual who is supposed to pay child support as ordered by the court fails to pay child support, they may be required to pay additional fees and interest charges along with the back child support. A state court will tend to act upon a person who owes child support, but in certain circumstance the federal courts can also become involved. A parent can also not avoid paying child support until the child is 18. Even if the child is 18 the parent will still be required to pay child support for every missed payment in addition to any fees and interest charges. So even if a parent refuses to pay child support for any period of time, they will still be required to pay for that missed child support even if the child turns 18.

Failing To Pay Child Support Repercussions and Relief

If your owed child support, there are a number of penalties that can occur either through the state courts or the federal courts if the other parent fails to pay. If the other parent has failed to pay child support, you should contact your attorney if you are the custodial parent or even the court that originally gave the decree of child support for assistance if the other parent is not cooperating.  Make sure to keep any records you may have that indicate the other parent has not paid their share of child support. This includes any failed deposits, receipts, letters, text messages, emails etc. Moreover, it is heavily advisable that if you happened to be the parent that has not paid child support that you do so immediately, or contact your spouse or the court to adjust a payment schedule. A deadbeat parent is heavily looked down upon by the United States Court system. Some of the things that the courts can do include the following against the non-paying spouse. This list is not entirely exhaustive but include some of the most common punishments that are involved when a parent fails to pay their child support as required.

Failing To Pay Child Support Penalties

  • Suspending their driver’s license
  • Denying them Passport
  • Wage Garnishment
  • Seizing their entire Tax Refund
  • Seizing their Property
  • Jail Time
  • Notifying their employer
  • The Child Support Recovery Act: (Makes it a misdemeanor to not pay child support and if $2,500 or more is owed it becomes felony)

Below Is A Table Of Links For Child Support Information In Each State

Child Support: Links For Each State

Alabama Child Supportdhr.alabama.gov/services/Child_Support_Services/Child_Support_Enforcement.aspx
Alaska Child Supportwww.dfa.arkansas.gov/offices/childSupport/Pages/default.aspx
Arizona Child Supporthttps://des.az.gov/services/child-and-family/arizona-child-support-services
Arkansas Child Supportwww.dfa.arkansas.gov/offices/childSupport/Pages/default.aspx
California Child Supporthttp://www.childsup.ca.gov/
Colorado Child Supporthttps://childsupport.state.co.us/
Connecticut Child Supporthttps://www.jud.ct.gov/childsupport/faq_eng.htm
Delaware Child Supportwww.dhss.delaware.gov/dcse
Florida Child Supporthttp://floridarevenue.com/childsupport/Pages/default.aspx
Georgia Child Supporthttps://childsupport.georgia.gov/
Hawaii Child Supporthttps://csea.ehawaii.gov/
Idaho Child Supporthealthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Children/ChildSupportServices/tabid/2975/Default.aspx
Illinois Child Supporthttps://online.hfs.illinois.gov/online/entry-flow.htm
Indiana Child Supporthttps://www.in.gov/dcs/support.htm
Iowa Child Supporthttps://childsupport.ia.gov/
Kansas Child Supportwww.dcf.ks.gov/services/CSS
Kentucky Child Supporthttps://csws.chfs.ky.gov/csws/
Louisiana Child Supporthttps://cafe-cp.dcfs.la.gov/selfservice
Maine Child Supportwww.maine.gov/dhhs/ofi/dser/
Maryland Child Supportdhr.maryland.gov/child-support-services/
Massachusetts Child Supporthttp://www.mass.gov/dor/child-support/
Michigan Child Supportwww.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-73971_5528---,00.html
Minnesota Child Supporthttps://www.childsupport.dhs.state.mn.us/Action/Welcome
Mississippi Child Supportwww.mdhs.state.ms.us/child-support/
Montana Child Supportdphhs.mt.gov/csed.aspx
Nebraska Child Supporthttps://childsupport.nebraska.gov/cp/
Nevada Child Supporthttps://dwss.nv.gov/Support/1_0_0-Support/
New Hampshire Child Supporthttps://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dcss/
New Jersey Child Supporthttp://www.njchildsupport.org/
New Mexico Child Supportwww.hsd.state.nm.us/LookingForAssistance/Child_Support.aspx
New York Child Supporthttps://www.childsupport.ny.gov/
North Carolina Child Supporthttp://www.ncchildsupport.com/parents.jsp
North Dakota Child Supporthttps://www.nd.gov/dhs/services/childsupport/
Ohio Child Supporthttp://childsupport.ohio.gov/
Oklahoma Child Supportwww.okdhs.org/services/ocss/Pages/default.aspx
Oregon Child Supporthttps://justice.oregon.gov/caseinformation/payment_history.aspx
Pennsylvania Child Supporthttps://www.humanservices.state.pa.us/csws/home_controller.aspx
Rhode Island Child Supportwww.cse.ri.gov/
South Carolina Child Supporthttps://www.state.sc.us/dss/csed/contact.htm
South Dakota Child Supporthttps://dss.sd.gov/childsupport/
Tennesse Child Supporthttps://apps.tn.gov/tcses/
Texas Child Supporthttps://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cs/welcome-to-the-child-support-division
Utah Child Supportwww.ors.utah.gov/child_support_services.htm
Vermont Child Supportdcf.vermont.gov/ocs
Virginia Child Supporthttps://mychildsupport.dss.virginia.gov/
Washington Child Supporthttps://secure.dshs.wa.gov/
West Virginia Child Supporthttps://apps.wv.gov/DHHR/SPI/
Wisconsin Child Supporthttps://dcf.wisconsin.gov/cs/csos/login
Wyoming Child Supporthttps://childsupport.wyoming.gov/
Missouri Child Supporthttps://dss.mo.gov/child-support/
Each States Child Support Links and FAQ

 

Additional Family Law Information

  • If you want information on how to file a divorce check out our article here on steps for filing a divorce.
  • If you want information or would like to help your children learn about divorce we have an article for that too here.
  • It’s also important to understand that children also have rights in a divorce. You should review those in our recent article.
  • If you’re looking about information for a separation agreement we got you covered, this article we made explains it.
  • Child Support information when a spouse works abroad can be found at the U.S. government website here.
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