It is essential to understand the potential consequences that could arise if you fail to pay child support. Across Virginia, many non-custodial parents face these challenges for a plethora of reasons, such as losing a job or suffering a health crisis. However, you need to do everything you can to stay caught up, and you should look into your options if you owe back support or worry about falling behind.
Failing to stay current on child support could impact many different facets of your life.
Reviewing child support enforcement
According to the Virginia Department of Social Services, parents who fail to make child support payments on time can face many penalties. The state has various tools to enforce child support orders, such as seizing property, taking support out of unemployment benefits, denying passports, placing liens on bank accounts and intercepting tax refunds.
If you owe over $5,000 in back child support or have fallen three months behind, the state could suspend your driver’s license. In addition, you could lose your occupational or recreational licenses.
Addressing child support payment difficulties
If you struggle to pay child support, you need to take a close look at your options. Sometimes, setting up a payment plan and making adjustments to financial habits can help parents pay for support. In other instances, modifying a child support order is necessary due to major financial changes, such as sudden job loss.
Paying child support can prove challenging for some parents, but you need to do everything that you can to remain current in order to avoid enforcement actions.
