If you have to pay child support, recently got a divorce and you expect to receive payments or your child’s other parent is failing to pay support, it is important to go over the penalties associated with falling behind on child support. In California, failing to make child support payments can create hardships for both parties, such as emotional distress and financial problems.
Fortunately, there are strategies that help some parents avoid becoming delinquent. For example, some parents have the ability to modify their child support order and make payments more reasonable.
How California enforces child support
According to California Child Support Services, parents who fall behind on child support payments, whether they cannot afford to pay support or they refuse to pay, can face various consequences. For example, the government sometimes intercepts lottery winnings and tax refunds as a result of back support. Parents who fail to pay child support can also face bank liens and property liens, the loss of their driver’s license as well as occupational licenses.
In fact, falling behind on child support can result in the loss of passport privileges, preventing some parents from leaving the country.
Other penalties that can arise over unpaid child support
In California, the state charges 10% interest on court orders that remain unpaid. Moreover, parents who do not pay child support are sometimes held in contempt of court. These are serious penalties that highlight the importance of staying current on support obligations. If you are struggling to make child support payments on time, make sure you carefully review strategies to avoid falling behind.