You and your former spouse decided it was best for the family to go your separate ways. The divorce has concluded, and thankfully, it was relatively harmonious. Agreements have been reached on child custody, property division and child support.
Initially, your ex stuck to their side of the bargain and you were optimistic about the future. Unfortunately, your ex has recently begun to fail to honor their child support obligations. What are your options in such a scenario?
Don’t take the law into your own hands
It can be extremely frustrating when your former partner fails to pay child support. Ultimately, this can leave your child without the things that they need, and all of the financial burdens fall on you.
Some parents make the error of refusing visitation to their co-parent in these situations. This is a big mistake. Child support and custody are viewed as separate legal matters and a custody order must be honored regardless of the child support status.
Try reasoning with your ex before anything else
The missed support payments may be the result of genuine financial hardship on the part of your co-parent. It’s important to find out what’s going on before jumping to conclusions. Through cooperation, you, your co-parent and the family court may be able to come up with a suitable arrangement until your ex gets back on their feet.
The court can act if you hit an impasse
Sadly, reasonable conversation doesn’t always work and your ex may be purposely refusing to pay child support. If this is the case then they are potentially committing the offense of contempt of court. Thus, your former spouse may not only find themselves in trouble with credit agencies and the family court but could also face criminal charges.
If you’re having trouble obtaining child support then it’s important to seek some legal guidance. This can help ensure that your child gets everything they need as they grow up.
