Parents involved in child custody cases usually also find themselves discussing child support. When child support payments become delinquent, the recipient has the right to recover those payments, especially if the agreement has yet to expire. So, how does one go about recovering delinquent child support payments?
When you are dealing with a delinquent parent who is also the non-custodial parent, it’s quite possible to have any of the following enacted:
- Liens issued against property
- Wages garnished
- Bank accounts frozen
- Reporting the person to the credit bureaus
- Jail
- Probation
- Denial of passport
- Unemployment insurance interception
- Held in contempt of court
- Suspension of driver’s license or professional driver’s license
The state government in Pennsylvania is responsible for handling the enforcement of child support. If the noncustodial parent fails to pay child support and decides to file for bankruptcy, don’t worry. Child support debt cannot be discharged when someone files for bankruptcy protection. This means that the child support debt will remain on the person’s record even after the bankruptcy filing is complete.
One of the first steps you must take in receiving child support that is not being paid is to file a court action to enforce said order. This involves completing the proper paperwork obtained from your local courthouse and then delivering it to the noncustodial parent. A hearing will then be scheduled.
Parents can also request help through the Pennsylvania Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program. The CSE program can pursue delinquent payments on your behalf.
If you are involved in a child support case, speaking with an experienced family law attorney in State College can make understanding the situation much easier.
Source: FindLaw, “Enforcement and Collection of Back Child Support,” accessed July 18, 2017
