Being a parent is a difficult task under the best of circumstances, but becomes increasingly trying when one parent or another does not fulfill his or her responsibilities to the child. For thousands of parents fighting the good fight every day to be the best parent they can be for the child they love, the lack of child support from the other parent is an unfair burden that they should not have to bear. If you are dealing with unpaid child support, there are actions you can take to get the help you need.
First, it is important to establish that a parent who is not dealing with unpaid child support from the other parent should never withhold custody rights. These two rights are very clearly distinct in the eyes of the law. Child support is the right of the child, not the parent. A parent who withholds visitation or other privileges when another parent is delinquent in support payments may possibly create problems for him or herself with the court further on down the road.
Enforcing payment of child support ultimately comes down to working the court system, which is never a simple affair. You will need to file an enforcement action with the appropriate court, which will in turn begin a series of measures to complete the non-paying or delinquent parent to make payments. These may include wage garnishment, denial of documents such as passports or licenses, liens on property and potentially jail time if the offense is serious enough.
If you are struggling to get your child’s other parent to follow through on making child support payments, do not hesitate to seek the right help. Here at Dowan Law Offices, we understand how difficult it can be to be a parent, and care deeply about helping parents get the support and help that they are entitled to have. With the help of an experienced and qualified attorney, you can pursue a fair and just resolution to your child support or child custody conflict, while making sure that your rights remain protected.