Failure to Pay Child Support in Florida
Each U.S. state dictates how child support should be enforced. Child support is usually ordered by the court to be paid by the parent that does not have physical custody to the one that does. This financial support helps that parent afford basic necessities as well things like as medical care, education, entertainment, and childcare expenses.
If payments are not made according to the agreement set forth by the court, the parent not making payments may run into some legal and financial trouble.
If that happens, the state of Florida has a system in place that could have the person's driver's license suspended, a report sent to credit agencies, tax refunds took away, and even payments garnished directly via their job and paycheck from their employer.
Child Support Wage Garnishment
Wage garnishment is a method used to make collections of child support payments. A court will order an employer to withhold a certain amount from an employee's paycheck and send it to whomever it is owed.
Basically, this is done to ensure that the parent will not fall behind in their payments. If this fails, then other methods are used in order to take the payment.
If child support payments are later than thirty days, then this can be reported to credit agencies. The reporting will happen until the amounts have been paid in full. This could also affect the noncustodial parent's ability to renew their Florida driver’s license and tax refunds can also be withheld.
Refusal to Pay Child Support
If a parent continuously refuses to pay child support, the court could hold the person in contempt of court and order a period of jail time. Additionally, the federal government may interject when the amount owed is more than $5,000 or more than a year.
Once a child support payment has been issued by a judge, then the only way to modify or change the order is to be seen before the judge again. The only way payments can be changed are: if it is in the child's best interest or if the payee's circumstances have changed substantially. The person responsible for paying child support can never simply stop paying.
Before it comes to extreme measures, get the assistance of a seasoned attorney. Our child support enforcement attorney can help you enforce the child support agreement set by the court so you do not have to waste time taking legal action that could take time to settle.
Contact our firm today for help enforcing your child support agreement.