Is Your Former Spouse Behind on Child Support Payments or Refusing to Pay?

Both parents are legally required to contribute to the care and well-being of their children, and in many cases the non-custodial parent is required to pay a set monthly amount to you (the custodial parent) to cover the costs of child care. Unfortunately, your former spouse may try to dodge child support obligations, and this can cause substantial difficulty for you and your day-to-day care.

Our Connecticut family lawyers have many years of experience fighting for our clients’ rights to child support payments and making sure that the payments are not delinquent. There is a robust system for child support enforcement, and there are even ways to enforce child support orders across state lines.

How Are Child Support Orders Enforced?

If your former spouse is behind on payments or refusing to pay court-ordered child support, he/she may be found in contempt and subject to several enforcement mechanisms. The first step you should take is contacting an experienced Connecticut family lawyer who can explain your legal options.

• Contempt: if your former spouse (non-custodial parent) is found to be in contempt of a court order, a judge may require him/her to pay you a lump sum of money. A refusal to pay may result in arrest and potentially jail time. Most individuals comply rather than risk incarceration.

• Income withholding: your former spouse may have wages, overtime pay, or retirement benefits garnished until he/she becomes current on any child support obligations.

• Professional license suspension: if your former spouse is a doctor, lawyer, or has any other specialized occupational license, it may be suspended until all past due child support is paid.

• Driver’s license suspension: similar to a professional license, the court can order that your former spouse’s license to drive a car be suspended until the child support is paid.

• Seizing tax returns: in some cases if Connecticut’s Support Enforcement Services are aware of the past due child support balance, they can seize your former spouse’s federal tax returns.

If your former spouse lives in another state or moves in an attempt to avoid paying child support, many of the same enforcement tools may apply. His/her income can still be garnished, and a Connecticut family lawyer can file the local support order in the other state giving that state the power of enforcement.

Contact A Connecticut Family Lawyer

Call a dedicated Connecticut family lawyer at the Law Offices of Piazza, Simmons and Grant LLC for a consultation on child support enforcement. We may be reached at (203) 348-2465.