Numerous responsibilities accompany the gift of welcoming a child into the world. One of these is a parent’s duty to support their child financially.
However, in some situations, parents do not always take that obligation seriously and attempt to evade their responsibilities. Holding the child’s other parent accountable is possible, though, as long as a child support order has been established by a judge.
How do courts handle delinquent child support payments?
Once a child support order has been granted, the non-custodial parent is required to abide by the terms of the agreement, which includes making support payments on time. When a parent refuses to uphold their child support obligations, the custodial parent must take legal action to enforce the order and hold the non-custodial parent in contempt of court.
After the custodial parent has filed a motion and brought the other parent’s delinquent child support payments to the court’s attention, a hearing will be held where the judge will evaluate the non-custodial parent’s reasons for not fulfilling the child support order.
The judge will then determine if the parent needs to be held in contempt and could sentence them to jail time or order community service to encourage the parent to satisfy their delinquent payments. Judges may also refer parents to a local Ohio Child Support Enforcement Agency. In Ohio, there is an enforcement agency in every county, making it possible to obtain prompt assistance.
Local enforcement agencies have a multitude of options available to obtain delinquent support payments, but one of the most common is placing a lien on the non-custodial parent’s property.
For example, the enforcement agency may place a lien on their home or personal vehicle. The non-custodial parent must fulfill the lien in order to assume ownership of the property again. However, in many instances, the non-custodial parent may not pay off the lien promptly. When such events arise, judges may exercise their ability to compel the non-paying parent to sell their home or vehicle to satisfy the lien.
Parents possess a legal and ethical obligation to ensure their child is taken care of from a financial perspective. When parents decide to neglect their responsibilities, legal action may be the only way to move forward and find a resolution.
To ensure a child receives the financial support they need and hold irresponsible parents accountable, consider seeking legal guidance from an attorney knowledgeable of local child custody laws.