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How can child support be enforced in Texas?

| Feb 23, 2019 | Firm News |

If you are the primary custodian of your child, it is likely that you will depend highly on child support to provide for the needs of your family. When child support is not paid, you can face a stressful financial situation through no fault of your own. It is important that you understand that child support is your right if the court has ordered it.

It can be difficult to enforce child support when the other parent is simply refusing to pay. However, the government has put laws in place such as the Child Support Enforcement Act of 1984, to make it possible for owed child support to be retrieved.

What strategies can be used to enforce the payment of child support?

If a parent refuses to pay child support and makes no attempt to modify the child support because of financial difficulties, they will likely be served papers from the district attorney. These papers will instruct the parent owing child support to meet with them in order to set up a payment schedule to get back on track with their child support obligations. They will also be threatened with jail time if they do not comply with the instructions.

Jail time is not often the first course of action, because this will not help the parent who is owed child support. Instead, every effort will be made to gain the money owed. This might be achieved through the garnishment of wages, the seizing of property or through withholding federal tax refunds.

If the other parent leaves the state of Texas, will I still be able to enforce child support?

Sadly, many parents who are refusing to pay child support leave the state in order to avoid paying child support. If you can locate the other parent, you may be able to still enforce the payment of child support through the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA). You can also send the child support order to their employer and request that wages are garnished.

If you want to take action to enforce the child support that you are owed, it is important that you are proactive in your approach.

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