How to Collect Child Support When Everything Else Fails

When a parent does not have custody of the children, he is still financially responsible for their upbringing. While the other parent hopes for child support without government intervention, many won’t pay without serious persuasion. Fortunately, there are ways to collect child support when everything else fails.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Establish legal paternity through the non-custodial parent’s acknowledgment of paternity or through a court ordered blood test.
2. Obtain a court order for child support. Typically, child support orders are the result of a divorce or paternity proceeding.
3. Visit your local Child Support Enforcement (CSE) office for assistance. They first determine where the non-custodial parent lives and her monthly child support obligation.
4. Garnish the non-custodial parent’s wages if he doesn’t pay child support willingly. CSE can assist you or you can hire an attorney to collect.
5. Get the IRS to claim any funds that the non-custodial parent may receive on her tax refund as back child support on your behalf.
6. Put a lien on the non-custodial parent’s property. If the property sells, the proceeds will go toward paying off the child support debt.
7. Report the non-custodial parent’s child support debt to the credit bureaus. This has a negative effect on his credit score and it won’t improve until he pays the balance of back child support.

Tips & Warnings

• Accomplish any of these steps with the assistance of your local CSE office.