If you have not been getting the full amount that you’re owed for child support, based on the court order given out when you got divorced, you’re not alone. One study found that the majority of parents didn’t get the full total every month. In fact, only 41.2 percent said they got the entire amount.
Perhaps even more shocking was the amount of parents who did not get a dime. The report put about 33 percent into this category. While the report was done back in 2009, this is modern information that shows the current state of the system. This may not make you feel better, per se, but it does shed some light on how big this problem is.
So, how can you get the money? The government has a few laws in place that may help, including the following:
1. It’s illegal to move to a different state just to get away from child support payments.
2. If a person has outstanding child support debt, he or she can’t get a passport.
3. Wages can be garnished to make the payments, which takes the money right from the employer.
4. Bankruptcy cannot be used to get rid of child support payments. It does not discharge any back debt that is owed and it will not modify or eliminate the need for current and future payments.
Not getting the full amount of money you deserve can make it incredibly hard to raise a child on your own. Be sure you know what steps to take to get hat money and give you and your child the life the court wanted you to have in California.
Source: Learn Vest, “How Do You Get Your Child Support Money?,” Lorelei Laird, accessed May 25, 2016