After the ink dries on divorce papers, parenting plans, and child support agreements, there’s a collective hope that everything will proceed smoothly.
However, life’s unpredictable nature often has other plans.
What to Do When Your Child Support Plans Fall Through
The Florida Department of Revenue stands ready with tools and guidance for navigating these unforeseen challenges.
Non-Payment of Child Support
If your partner falls behind in their child support payments, the Child Support Program can step in to monitor and ensure compliance. They offer assistance through job placement, training, and tapping into a network of community resources. For parents who live apart, state and federal laws take enforcement measures and work with agencies from other states. Learn more about compliance and enforcement at the Florida Department of Revenue’s website.
How can the Child Support Program help?
- Payment Agreements: For those behind on payments, the Program can negotiate a plan to gradually settle past-due support, which could avoid harsher enforcement measures.
- Income Withholding: Employers may be required to deduct child support payments directly from wages.
- License Suspensions: Non-payment can lead to the suspension of driver’s, professional, and recreational licenses.
- Court Intervention: Persistent non-payment may result in court action. This could lead to mandated payments, contempt charges, or job training orders.
- Liens and Other Collections: Liens can be placed on personal property like vehicles and boats for unpaid support. The Program has the authority to intercept funds from various sources, including insurance settlements and tax refunds, to cover child support dues.
- Bank Account Levies: Past-due support can be collected directly from bank accounts, ensuring owed amounts are paid.
- Credit Reporting: The Program may report overdue support to credit agencies, potentially impacting credit scores.
- Medical Support Enforcement: The Program can help secure health insurance for children or recover costs for medical expenses not covered by insurance.
- Legal Costs Recovery: The Program also seeks to recover your legal costs if you had to hire an attorney to go after back payments. The payments have to be are overdue by 30 days.
- Passport Restrictions: The program can deny requests for passport renewals or modifications if payments are late.
For additional details on each of these measures, visit the Florida Department of Revenue’s Child Support Program website.
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