What Should I Do If My Ex Refuses to Pay Child Support?

Written by Jonathan Breeden

September 28, 2018

Co-parenting can be a challenge. While other families might make it look like a breeze, you may feel like you are in a constant battle with your child’s other parent. That clash may come to a head when they refuse to pay child support. Now you have to figure out what to do in order to obtain the financial help you need to raise your child. At Breeden Law Office, a child support lawyer can help you navigate your legal options to obtain payment when your ex refuses to pay child support. We also will make sure you avoid common mistakes, such as attempting to withhold visitation.

To discuss what you should do when your child’s parent is behind on paying child support, call us at (919) 661-4970, or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

What You Should Do When Your Ex Refuses to Pay Child Support

You should contact our office to allow us to assist you in obtaining a child support order or enforcing a current order. You can also contact your local Child Support Enforcement office. Every county in North Carolina has an office that deals with Child Support Enforcement (CSE). If you are unsure of which office to contact regarding your situation, do not hesitate to reach out to our firm for help.

If your ex is refusing to pay support, your local CSE office is where you can go for help. You may file a complaint by submitting an Application for Child Support Services, and a Child Support Supplemental Data Sheet. There is also a small fee for your paperwork to be processed. Next, you will be assigned a caseworker. This person investigates your situation, including reviewing the current child support order, and determines whether your ex-spouse is delinquent.

Next, CSE will locate your ex if you do not have their current address, and notify them of their involvement if they have not been involved previously

CSE can take a number of steps to ensure you receive child support including:

  • Wage garnishment
  • Garnishing state and/or federal tax refunds
  • Garnishing Social Security benefits
  • Garnishing unemployment, workers’ compensation, veterans, and federal retirement benefits
  • Seize money in a bank account, in certain circumstances
  • Seize other case assets, including inheritances or insurance settlements
  • Placing liens on the parent’s property
  • Garnishing lottery winnings
  • Denying a first-time passport or passport renewal
  • Suspending the parent’s driver’s license
  • Suspending the parent’s professional, sporting, and recreational licenses

Avoid Common Mistakes When Your Ex is Refusing to Pay Support

When your child’s other parent is behind on their child support payments, it can be tempting to try and take matters into your own hands.

You should not:

  • Confront the other parent
  • Talk about the issue with your child
  • Keep your child away from the other parent
  • Deny the other parent their court-ordered visitation or parenting time
  • Violate any court order currently in place

It can be challenging, but the other parent’s violation of a child support order does not give you the right to violate a court order in retaliation. Doing so can get you into trouble with the law. Instead, do your best to preserve the current child custody order, and encourage your child to maintain a relationship with their other parent. Speak with a child support lawyer about the best way to obtain the support you are entitled to.

Contact a Child Support Lawyer for Help

CSE offices are experienced in imposing child support orders. However, at Breeden Law Office, we are aware that some parents go to great lengths to avoid paying what they owe. When you face a challenging situation in which CSE’s efforts are not enough or not fast enough, give us a call. We can return to court to address the situation. In extreme cases, we can ask file contempt proceedings and request that the judge issue an arrest warrant.

To learn more about your options when your ex refuses to pay child support, contact us at (919) 661-4970, or reach out via our online form to request a consultation.

 
 

Divorce In North Carolina: What You Need To Know

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