South Dakota Has Increase in Upaid Child Support

Even though South Dakota has garnered the reputation of having high rates of child support collection, the state has seen a significant increase in unpaid support. Recent studies show that parents are behind on nearly $20 million worth of child support payments. By the end of fiscal year 2011, parents in South Dakota owed a total amount of $138,125,329. The Department of Social Services is working to lower this number while trying to figure out why the amount has jumped so significantly over the past two years. One reason this figure has increased is likely due to the sheer rise in volume of cases that the department processes.

In 2007 there were 37,429 child support cases; just a few years later in 2011, that figure had jumped up to 41,581. Are you having trouble making child support payments? If so, you should speak with a family law attorney about your legal rights under state law. There are ways that you can reduce your payments temporarily or even permanently, but you'll want to seek legal assistance.