What Happens if My Ex-Spouse Doesn’t Pay Child Support as Ordered?
There are a number of remedies that may be available to you if the court has ordered your child’s other parent to pay child support, but he or she has failed to pay it as ordered. First, you can file a contempt of court action against the other parent in the court that previously issued the child support order. In a contempt action, the court can order your child’s other parent to pay what he or she owes, as well as your legal costs for having to file a contempt action.
If you know where the parent is working, another option is to get an Income Deduction Order to have the employer directly deduct the child support payments from his or her paycheck. Most court-issued child support orders already have language in them that an Income Deduction Order can be issued if a parent falls more than one month behind in his or her child support obligation. If your child support order does not have this language in it, you can go back to court to modify your order to add this language.
If you know that the parent owns real or personal property, you may be able to get a lien on the house or land. A lien is a claim that you have on another person’s property for payment of a debt, which prevents him or her from selling it until the lien is satisfied. You also may be able to levy on personal property, or seize it to satisfy the child support that is owed to you. A Georgia child support lawyer can help you with this process.
Finally, if the other parent has fallen 60 days or more behind on his or her child support obligation, you can request the court to deny or suspend his or her driver’s license, professional license, hunting license, or fishing license.
If you wish to explore the different options for enforcing your child support that may be available in your case, the Shaw Law Firm, LLC, can assist you. We will evaluate your situation and advise you about the pros and cons of child support enforcement techniques.
Contact us or call today to learn how Shaw Law can work with you to achieve the best outcome possible for you and your children.
Scott Shaw is founder and principle of Shaw Law Firm LLC, founded in 1995 and dedicated solely to divorce, family law and child custody matters that must be addressed and decided in the state of Georgia. Shaw Law Firm serves the greater Metro Atlanta area, particularly the counties of Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth, Paulding, Henry, Fayette, Coweta, Newton, Walton, Bartow and Douglas. Schedule a consultation today at 770-594-8309.