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| | I'm receiving payments now, but I'm worried about future payments. |
Each installment of court-ordered child support is to be paid according to the amount – and due date – set out in the order. When a person does not comply with the order, the overdue payments are called "arrearages" or "arrears". Judges have become very strict about enforcing child support orders and collecting arrearages.
There are several things you can do to prepare in case you have to pursue collection later on. You can:
- Have a copy of your court order in a handy place. This legal document shows that you are owed child support, and gives a government agency or private child support enforcement agency the power to collect the past-due support on your behalf.
- Keep an accurate accounting of all the child support payments you receive. You might want to keep a log with the following information:
- Date the check was received
- check number
- amount received
A copy of the check itself also works as a record. This log could be used as evidence that you have conscientiously recorded all support payments received in case of a dispute.
In the event that the support payments do stop coming in, there are several options available to you to enforce your court-ordered child support payments. You can:- Hire an attorney
- Ask your local, county or state government child support enforcement office for assistance.
- Legal self-help
To determine which option will work best for you, you must take a few things into consideration:- The amount of child support owed to you
- The amount of time and money you’re willing to spend on the enforcement of your child support order. Some options require more of your direct involvement than others will and some options will cost you more than others will.
- The option most likely to give you a reasonable return on your investment. You should not risk a lot of money in order to get relatively little back in return.
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