If you have kids and are thinking about getting a divorce, or currently find yourself in the middle of the process, it is essential to think about child support. Aside from understanding how child support obligations could affect your finances, you should also understand the serious consequences associated with falling behind if you expect to owe support.
Parents miss child support payments for various reasons, such as job loss and unexpected medical crises. However, becoming delinquent on child support can make life significantly harder.
How Texas enforces child support orders
According to the Attorney General of Texas, the state uses a number of strategies to enforce court orders due to parents failing to pay child support. For example, a non-custodial party that misses child support payments could lose their driver’s license as well as hunting, fishing and professional licenses. Property liens, intercepted lottery winnings and having your name reported to credit bureaus could also affect you if you fall behind on child support.
Other penalties for missing child support payments
In addition, you could lose your passport privileges as a result of falling behind on child support. Whether you cannot apply for a passport or you have your current passport revoked, this could affect you if you plan on traveling overseas for business purposes or sightseeing. Furthermore, parents who miss child support payments are sometimes held in contempt of court, which can lead to serious penalties, such as time behind bars.
If you worry about falling behind on child support, make sure you explore your options. Make sure you go over your case carefully when working through your divorce.
