Dealing With A Deadbeat? What To Do If Your Ex Has Stopped Paying Child Support
Posted on: 18 June 2020
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If you receive court-ordered child support, the order should keep the payments coming. Unfortunately, court orders don't always have the desired effect. In fact, some parents stop paying child support regardless of the court order. If your ex has stopped paying child support, you need to get help. Without help, your ex may continue to avoid their court-ordered payments. Here are four steps you need to take to get the payments started again.
Continue to Allow Visitation
If your ex has stopped paying child support, don't let anger get in the way. You may want to stop visitation until your ex pays child support. But, that's the worst thing you can do in this situation. This is especially true if the visitation is part of the court-ordered agreement. If you deny visitation, you'll be breaking the court order. That action can get you in trouble with the courts. Not only that, but you're punishing your child for something your ex has done. Instead, continue to allow visitation.
Try to Resolve It Amicably
If you're not receiving your child support, try to come to a peaceful resolution. If you and your ex can work together, you can avoid some of the conflict. Arrange a time when you can sit down and talk to your ex about the situation. There may be an underlying issue that's caused the payments to stop. If you and your ex can come to a mutual agreement, you can avoid further escalation. If that's not possible, you'll need to seek help.
Contact the Child Support Division
If your ex is refusing to pay child support, contact your local child support division. This is especially important if you collect financial help through the government. The child support division can help you collect child support payments from your ex. When you visit the office, bring your court orders with you. The child support workers need to see the official orders. You should also bring proof that the child support has stopped. This can include bank statements or personal correspondence.
Seek Legal Representation
Finally, if you've stopped receiving child support from your ex, hire an attorney as soon as possible. There are legal steps your attorney can take to get your payments started again. Some of your options include court sanctions such as garnishing your ex's wages or tax refunds.
If you can't get child support payments from your ex, use the information provided here to get the help you need. Contact a child support attorney to learn more.