Don’t let unpaid child support lead to an arrest

When a non-custodial parent fails to make his or her court-ordered child support payments, serious repercussions often follow. Parents who are encountering financial trouble can find themselves subject to fines, fees and even the loss of professional licenses. If child support payments fall into serious arrears, parents can be arrested and brought before a Colorado court of law. The end result can be jail time, which will only serve to further complicate one’s financial scenario.

An example is found in one county in a southern state that recently went through a child support sting. Arrest warrants on 48 parents were served, and those individuals were taken into custody. This undoubtedly led to disruptions in their employment, as well as their family life. Each of these parents will now have to stand before a court to explain why they allowed their child support payments to fall behind.

Child support is a serious responsibility, and no one would argue that a parent should not be held accountable for failing to provide financial support to his or her child. However, many parents who fall behind are not deadbeats who are trying to shirk those responsibilities; they are simply caught in a difficult financial position. When there is not enough money to cover one’s living expenses, making timely child support payments is virtually impossible.

For Colorado parents who have suffered an unexpected job loss, illness, injury or other circumstance that has left them in a financial bind, it is important to take a proactive stance in the matter. It is possible to approach the court and ask for a reduction in child support, to match a change in one’s income. Family court judges want to provide children with the support they need to thrive, and they are often open to making changes that will give parents the ability to meet those financial obligations.

Source:

northdallasgazette.com, “48 Tarrant County parents arrested for not paying child support“, Sept. 6, 2015