Dealing with the absence of child support payments from the other parent of your child can be debilitating. If you depend on child support as one stream of income, providing for your child’s basic needs can be difficult. Even if you do not depend financially on the payments, knowing that your co-parent is not fulfilling their financial responsibilities can be frustrating and anger-inducing.
It’s important that you act efficiently in response to missed child support payments. By taking action sooner rather than later, you will have a better chance of successfully enforcing the child support order and obtaining the payments that you and your child deserve.
How can child support orders be enforced?
When child support payments are missed or when the payments stop completely, state courts have the authority to make a decision on what further action should be taken. The courts have several options to force payment or to disincentivize continued missed payments.
In order to collect child support payments, Rhode Island judges may decide to garnish wages or gain control of bank accounts so the unpaid child support can be retrieved from the parent who owes support.
The courts can use additional tactics to enforce the legal obligation to pay child support. These tactics can include preventing that parent from being able to renew their driver’s license and passport. The noncustodial parent could also be at risk of losing their occupational license.
If you are frustrated because you have not received the child support payments that you are owed, it is important that you consider your legal options. By understanding the law and being proactive, you increase your chances of success.
