Teaneck Child Support Enforcement Lawyer
Many parents rely on steady child support payments to meet their children’s financial needs. When the money stops coming, innocent children suffer. The government takes child support obligations seriously, and expedited remedies may be available to help you collect delinquent payments.
An experienced Teaneck child support enforcement lawyer can help you both recover arrears and protect future payments. Discuss your options for claiming unpaid child support with a dedicated family law team right away.
Enforcing Child Support Orders as Legal Judgments in Teaneck
Orders requiring child support payments carry the same force and effect as legal judgments. Whether issued out of state or locally, an attorney may petition to file and enforce a child support order under New Jersey Stat. 2A:17-56.23a. Enforcement proceedings typically begin when the court orders the defaulting party to appear and explain why they are in arrears.
Failure to pay child support might result from job loss, illness, or other financial strain. Delinquent payers may request modifications to their support orders; however, any subsequent amendments do not waive arrears. Courts may also place a lien on the defaulting party’s property, including land and bank accounts, potentially even liquidating assets to cover overdue child support obligations. A local family law attorney is familiar with the requirements for enforcing child support orders and can help make sure they are successfully met.
Penalties & Remedies for Failure to Pay Child Support
The welfare and best interests of the children must always come first. As such, child support debts have priority over almost all other financial obligations. Failure to support children may also subject defaulting parties to economic penalties. Judges, state agencies, and private enforcement organizations might:
- Report any child support debts to credit agencies, which could notify schools, lenders, and judicial officials that parents failed in their support obligations
- Charge accumulating interest and late payment fees on all arrears
- Require delinquent obligors to pay all arrears before applying payments to interest and fees
- Order asset liquidation without judicial notice or a hearing
- Place a priority lien on an obligor’s estate or any future money judgments, i.e., personal injury settlements
- Recover overdue support from a defaulting party’s inheritance
When fashioning a remedy, courts generally consider the defaulting party’s intent, assets, and overall financial stability. A family lawyer can discuss the options available to enforce child support orders in Teaneck. Solutions may include garnishing wages and taking proactive measures to prevent future defaults.
Recovering Future Child Support through the State Disbursement Unit
Under a program called Title IV-D, federal and state entities collaborate to collect and deposit child support through automatic paycheck withholdings. Some employers must withhold support obligations from a non-custodial parent’s paycheck and submit them to the State disbursement unit. State law requires the unit to deposit the child support directly into the custodial parent’s bank account.
If a child support judgment was not entered under Title IV-D, petitioners might request entry of a withholding order. Legal counsel can petition Teaneck judges to ensure delinquent obligors’ future compliance by ordering employers to withhold child support from paychecks.
Contact a Knowledgable Attorney for Child Support Enforcement in Teaneck
Courts understand that financial situations change, but the obligation to support your kids does not. Numerous options exist to help you obtain needed support for your children from a neglectful parent. States work together to enforce support orders, and the courts can even address out-of-state defaults.
Whether you need assistance requesting modified support, collecting arrears, or ensuring future payments, a Teaneck child support enforcement lawyer can help. You may even take advantage of expedited remedies. Contact our experienced and compassionate legal team today to discuss your recovery options.
