06 Oct What Can Be Done About A Deadbeat Parent?
In all over the country, it is becoming increasingly harder for deadbeat parents to continue skipping out on child support. The establishments of stricter laws are being enacted to enforce the court ordered support orders for children. There are new and powerful collection tools at the federal, state and local levels.
First and foremost you must establish child support through the court system. You and your ex can establish and agree on an amount, through state guidelines, and a judge will approve it and turns it into an official order. This, of course, is the easy way. When both parents are in agreement, the court system works effectively.
However, if you and your ex cannot come to terms, a judge or local agency must decide on the amount. At this time it would be recommended to consult an experienced family law attorney to file a request for a child support order.
Enforcing child support hopefully will not be an issue, however, if it does become a problem, a delinquent parent may be subject to one or all of these enforcement “tools”:
- Wage deductions – child support is taken directly out of the paying parent’s wages.
- License suspension and revocations – the delinquent parent’s driver’s license and/or professional license may be revoked.
- Restriction of passport – failing to pay child support may result in restrictions placed on passport (preventing flight from country).
- Contempt of Court- a legal order requiring a fine or jail time for the parent failing to make court ordered child support payments. The custodial parent through the court system, however, must request this order.
Federal prosecution of a deadbeat parent comes into play if the paying parent lives in a state other than where the child resides, and:
- Has not paid child support in over a year.
- The amount owed is more than $5,000.
- When the paying parent travels out-of-state or country to avoid paying child support.
Punishment can include up to 6 months in prison and fines for the first offense. The punishment increases as time and amount increase.
Child Support Attorney Consultation
As with most legal proceedings, it is smart and lucrative to seek a well-informed, experienced family law attorney for advice and counsel. Jeffrey M. Bloom is proud to serve the people of New Jersey, where he has lived for more than 40 years. Contact the Law Offices of Jeffrey M. Bloom today if you have questions and want legal help with your child support payments – (855) 208-3650.
