Every state has local agencies set up to help you set up and enforce an order for child support. Generally speaking, you can fill out a short form and submit a copy of your child support order (if it already exists) to get help from your local office. Generally speaking, these services will be free to any recipients of public assistance like food stamps or TANF.
Additionally, you can hire an experienced child support lawyer to help you set up and enforce an order for child support. This can be helpful, especially if you have problems communicating with your ex or other concerns. Your local child support agency is strictly concerned with child support and won’t be able to help you with any other issues that may arise. Custody and visitation, for example, are issues that will benefit from the aid of a legal attorney who is familiar with your state’s law.
Filing the paperwork to get a child support order enforced or established is complex. While an agency will be able to help guide you through the process, hiring a lawyer instead can help you with things like documenting income that your ex may receive, locating your ex in the first place, and facilitating the legal process of serving your ex with notice papers. Additionally, an experienced attorney will be able to help you determine what financial information needs to be collected to calculate an appropriate child support amount.
Even if a child support order has been established, it can be difficult to enforce. Your ex may not pay his or her child support on time – or at all. In this instance, the only way to have the order enforced is to either go through your local child support agency, or your state’s court system. You may be able to have a judge enforce a garnishment order or even file a contempt of court proceeding against your ex. Additionally, your ex’s tax refund may be intercepted to pay their obligations, their passport may have a hold placed on it, and liens can even be placed on their real estate or vehicles. A lawyer can be immensely helpful when it comes to enforcing a child support order and helping take appropriate actions.
If you have any questions regarding the creation or enforcement of a child support order, contact an experienced lawyer, like a child support lawyer from Pioletti, Pioletti, & Nichols Attorneys at Law, to help you. While you can file everything on your own, you may be leaving a lot of time and money on the table if you aren’t completely aware of your options.