How to Enforce Child Support Payments

If a person who has been ordered to make child support payments fails to do so, then the person entitled to receive the payments can compel payment with a court order. While this requires you to return to the court with a new legal filing, it will help to ensure that you get the child support payments you need.

Instructions

1. Contact your lawyer to file an appropriate action with the court to enforce the child support order. This action may include income or wage assignment and also contempt of court.

2. If you cannot afford an attorney, go to your local courthouse to the family court division and ask for the appropriate forms to enforce child support payments. The clerk may have the forms there, or you may be able to download them off of the court's website. These forms will need to be filled out in their entirety and then filed with the court. The court will provide you with a hearing date and time.

3. The filed papers will now need to be served on the other party, either through a private process server or with the local sheriff's department. If the other party fails to show up at the date and time of the hearing, this can result in contempt of court, and a bench warrant may be issued for their arrest.

Tips & Warnings

• Failure to pay child support under certain circumstances is a crime.

References

• Oregon Department of Justice: Child Support