Interstate Child Support Enforcement in New Jersey
We live in an increasingly mobile society in which people move freely from state to state. Child support obligations remain with parents regardless of the state or even the country they live in. There is a uniform law mandated by the federal government that protects parents who are paying or receiving child support when their situation involves the parents living in different states or countries. An experienced family law attorney can help you understand interstate child support enforcement in New Jersey and can provide services to help you navigate the process of enforcing a child support order.
What Is UIFSA, and How Does It Impact Your Case?
The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) is a federally mandated law in place in every state that requires employers in other states to comply with New Jersey income withholding orders and ensures that there is only one support order for a child at a time. The law allows the custodial parent to register an order in the non-custodial parent’s state for the sole purpose of enforcing the order. This registration allows an issuing state to govern the payment of current and past due support, and requires the state in which the paying parent resides to collect and enforce the support order.
What Happens If a Support Case Involves Another Country?
Some child support cases involve a New Jersey child’s non-custodial parent living in a foreign country. Through UIFSA, New Jersey has support enforcement agreements with dozens of other countries and Canadian provinces that ensure agencies in these locations will assist the State in collecting current and past due child support as ordered by a family court in New Jersey.
How Can a Family Law Attorney Help Enforce Interstate Child Support?
An experienced New Jersey family law attorney can help their clients enforce interstate child support orders by ensuring that parents understand their rights under UIFSA. They can initiate proceedings to establish paternity and use UIFSA guidelines to establish the proper jurisdiction for the case based on where the child is located.
A family law attorney can also coordinate with agencies and courts in other states to determine the available channels for enforcing a child support order, such as garnishing wages, freezing assets, and more. They can also help a custodial parent register a support order in another state for enforcement.
Other issues can arise in an interstate child support case, including the need to modify support orders to reflect significant changes in either parent’s financial situation. A family law attorney can help a parent navigate these issues by negotiating with the other parent’s attorney, drafting agreements, and more.
Contact Moskowitz Law Group, LLC to Learn More About Interstate Child Support Enforcement in New Jersey
Under New Jersey law, both parents are required to financially support their child. This is true even if the non-custodial parent no longer lives in the State. Having an experienced family law attorney on your side to handle the situations that may arise when attempting interstate child support enforcement in New Jersey is extremely important.
Our legal team understands the complexity involving child support, particularly if the parents live in different states or countries. We advocate for the best interests of the child while looking out for our clients’ interests, too. We approach cases with empathy, understanding that the process of enforcing child support is one that can lead to frustration, confusion, and other stressful emotions. Let us help you understand your options. Contact Moskowitz Law Group, LLC for your free case evaluation today.
