Child support obligations are not to be taken lightly. A person who owes child support and does not pay it can have all types of trouble. Here is a summary of how the process works, and what can happen if the support goes unpaid and a suit for enforcement is filed, and is successful.
The Process:
- Child Support is ordered to be paid by a court.
- The child support is not paid as ordered
- The parent/guardian and/or the Texas Attorney/General Child support division files suit for enforcement and gets a judgment for the past-due amounts
Then- what can happen if the person owing the support (“Obligee”) does not pay:
- A judge can order that the Obligee be confined to jail for a certain amount of time.
- Contempt of court
- The obligee may not be able to renew his/her license issued by the state and may even lose it (driver’s license, professional license, hunting & fishing license)
- The interest will compound and it can take many years to pay off.
- Negative effect on credit.
- Tax refunds confiscated
- Psychological and emotional effects on children and on self-image.
Do not take child support obligations lightly! If you owe child support and are not able to pay the amount that you are ordered to pay, you may be able to get a reduction in the monthly amount you owe for future months. Talk to a family law attorney about how to seek a reduction if you believe that you may be entitled to one.
Bottom line: this is one of those things in life that you cannot afford to ignore. If you are already involved in this process, a family law attorney may be able to help you work out payments and give you further advice about how to handle this legal process.
