Parents who are seeking to collect valuable child support should be familiar with legal resources to help them enforce a valid child support order. Parents are required to provide financial support for the care of their children which is why the family law legal process provides options to help parents with their child support concerns and child support enforcement.
Options to enforce child support include withholding federal and state tax refunds; wage garnishment; seizure of personal property; license suspension of an occupational or business license; driver’s license suspension or revocation; and denial of a passport. In some circumstances, jail time may also be a possible child support enforcement mechanism for parents who fail to pay child support. Because the consequences for the failure to pay child support are serious, it is essential for parents to be familiar with what they are.
Both parents receiving child support and parents paying child support may have child support concerns that need to be addressed. The family law process also provides resources to help parents who are having difficulty meeting their child support obligations. A child support modification may be requested by either parent and based on a significant change in circumstances for the parent or child, a child support modification may be possible. It is important to reach out to the family law system promptly if a modification is needed.
Parents need to ensure they continue to follow a valid child support order until any changes are granted. They can always utilize the different family law resources to help them address their child support concerns which is why they should be familiar with what they are.