What Can I Do if My Ex Will Not Pay Child Support? 

 Posted on July 08, 2022 in Uncategorized

The end of a relationship means that parents of minor children will be under heightened scrutiny when it comes to providing financial support to their children. Whether it is through a divorce or breakup, as well as when parents were never in a relationship, both parents have a legal obligation to make sure their child’s needs are cared for. 

A Texas child support order quantifies which parent must make child support payments and how much they must be, but some parents decide to try to dodge child support payments. If you are the parent of a young child and your child’s other parent has stopped making child support payments, do not wait to take action. Get help from an experienced child support attorney right away. 

Make Sure You Have a Child Support Order

Before you can enforce a child support order, you need to have one. A simple verbal agreement between parents may seem easier, but it is not enforceable in court. If you and your ex have not established a child support order yet, do not worry. The Texas Office of the Attorney General or a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship (SAPCR) can make sure you get a child support order, including establishing paternity if necessary, and your attorney can guide you through this process. 

File an Income Withholding Order

If you have a child support order and your child’s other parent is not making payments, ask for an income withholding order. This allows child support payments to be deducted directly from the paying parent’s income by that parent’s employee. Then, the State Disbursement Unit transfers the payments to the receiving parent. Even if the parent who is responsible for paying child support is not employed when you get the child support order, an income withholding order can be used as soon as he or she gets a job.

Get Help From the State

The Texas State Attorney General’s Office has a division specifically for addressing child support problems. The Child Support Enforcement Division helps parents collect past-due payments and enforce support orders. Enforcement methods include, but are not limited to: 

• Suspending driver’s licenses and other professional licenses 

• Denying passport applications

• Placing liens against property, bank accounts, etc.

• Tax return garnishment 

While you can go directly through the attorney general’s office, the office is usually backlogged with cases, and getting help can take a long time. If you hire a private attorney with experience pursuing unpaid child support, you can generally take action and get the child support you are owed much faster. 

Call a Dallas-Fort Worth Unpaid Child Support Attorney

Child support is a legal obligation required by Texas courts under penalty of law. If your child’s other parent is neglecting their child support responsibilities, you do not have to manage the frustration and difficulty of this situation alone. Get help from an experienced Dallas County unpaid child support attorney with Clark Law Group. We are committed to pursuing every option to make sure you get the child support you need. Call us today at 469-906-2266. 

Source: 

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/child-support/child-support-enforcement/how-we-enforce