Not receiving the child support payments you are due can lead to severe financial challenges. In turn, this can have a negative impact on your ability to care for your children. Even one missed payment can make all the difference in the quality of life your kids enjoy, and numerous missed payments can be disastrous. Most parents in Maryland already know the effect of missed child support payments. What they often do not know is what can be done to remedy the situation.
Fortunately, the state of Maryland does offer several enforcement options for the custodial parent, each one developed to encourage the non-custodial parent to make good on his or her support responsibility. Under federal and state law, the Child Support Enforcement Administration, or CSEA, has the necessary authorization to implement a number of actions to ensure child support obligations are met. These include wage garnishments, interception of tax refunds, asset garnishments, credit bureau reporting and a great many others.
When any of the actions above do not yield results, the state can take an even harsher approach. This might include suspending the non-paying parent’s driver’s license or professional license. In severe cases, the court may hold a non-paying parent with the ability to pay in contempt for not meeting child support obligations. Sometimes, this means a stint in jail for the non-custodial parent.
A parent who is struggling to make ends meet in the absence of child support payments might find legal representation to be beneficial. A family law attorney can help the custodial parent present the facts of the case and seek a solution that benefits the children. Learn more on our law firm’s website.
