What Solutions Exist If Your Ex Fails To Pay Child Support

With the economic downturn, more parents are in violation of court orders for child support. Financial problems are plaguing many in the nation, not just in Massachusetts, but the government and enforcement agencies are not sympathetic when it comes to non-payment of child support. Your ex-spouse may have a legitimate reason if he is behind on child support or it could be that he is purposely being non-compliant for some other reason such as sheer manipulation or malice. Regardless, there are actions you can take to enforce payment; the wrong thing to do is to ignore it and allow yourself and your children to suffer.

What Actions Can Be Taken

The first thing you want to do is work with an experienced family law attorney and get guidance as to the legal actions that can be taken. Following are some of the solutions an attorney can help you put in place to enforce child support payments.

• A written official notification can be sent by the Dept. of Revenue (DOR) to the offender stating that there is a past due amount of child support due, plus interest
• Wage garnishment (also known as an income withholding order) can be requested and issued
• When there is child support that is past due, delinquent or less than what is supposed to be being paid, the amount of payments can be increased up to 25 %.
• A judgment and a lien can be place against the offending spouses real and personal property
• A levy on bank accounts can also be made if the support payments are backlogged more than six weeks or exceed $1500

If you are having trouble getting your ex-spouse to keep their child support agreements in the Salem area, you should get help from an experienced family law attorney. At KRP Law, we have 13 years of experience in handling family law matters and can help you lay the groundwork for a happier and more stable future.

Contact a Salem child support lawyerin our office for a free consultation and we will discuss your child support situation in detail.