Child support is crucial because it ensures a child’s needs are met after a divorce. The Hawaii Child Support Enforcement Agency provides a system for payments of court-ordered child support. The agency ensures that parents pay in a convenient and timely manner by having in-depth information and tools on their website.
If the court orders your co-parent to pay child support, they should abide by the decision. However, they may miss a payment. If this happens, here is what you should do.
Contact them
Before taking any legal action, you should contact your co-parent to learn why they missed the payment. They may have forgotten or could be going through a difficult time, perhaps they lost their job, or they had an emergency that drained them financially. It will be best to have this conversation through text message or email. If it’s via the phone, you could record the call.
Gather evidence
If your co-parent misses a payment, you should start gathering evidence, even if they promise to catch up with them. Keep all receipts and bank statements that show previous payments. This will prove when they missed or stopped payments.
Take them back to court
If your co-parent can’t afford the ordered child support, they should request a modification. By providing enough evidence to support their claims, the court may reduce their payments. However, if they don’t take this step, but keep missing payments while giving you one reason after another, consider going back to court. The judge will provide a solution that ensures your child has ongoing financial support.
Missed child support can affect the needs of your child significantly. If your co-parent misses a payment, you should seek legal guidance to make the right moves.
