What are the Risks of Failing to Pay Court-ordered Child Support?

Child support is often the bone of contention between parents. Remember, if you fail to make court ordered child support in a timely fashion without a valid reason, you will suffer severe penalties.

Here are some of the consequences you might face if you fail to pay court-ordered child support even if you have a Spokane, WA divorce lawyer from the best law firm in the area such as the Powell Law Offices:

·         Contempt of court is the most common penalty awarded to a non-paying parent

·         You may receive a civil or criminal warrant for your arrest

·         You might get jail term and fines

·         You could also face some serious financial consequences such as wage garnishment, unemployment and denial of worker’s compensation

·         You can be denied tax refunds as a penalty

·         Additionally the court might also deny you some government benefits

·         Your passport might be revoked (you will not be seeing your parents back home for Christmas)

·         Cancellation of certain licenses such as driving, boating, fishing, or hunting can happen at the behest of the courts (now explain that to your friends!)

·         The courts can have a lien tagged to your property to force you to pay

Remember that state laws vary but every state is resolute to enforce child support granted by a court. In addition, you must not even think of migrating to another state to avoid paying child support. If you do so you will be charged with federal offenses, caution Eastern Washington State divorce attorneys where you could face mandatory restitution and even imprisonment for 2 or 3 years. If you need legal help in this arena, no one is better than the Powell Law Offices.

However, a different set of laws apply to military personnel where failure to pay child support could result in dismissal from the military. You thought losing rank was bad, now your life can be ruined. But this is pretty extreme since if you lose your job you certainly cannot make payments then. You may be somewhat expendable but if you have a job at least you can make those coveted payments.

Some people jump to conclusions too fast. Some people have knee jerk reactions when they should not. If you are having trouble or will have trouble making your child support payments you need a Spokane, WA divorce lawyer. One of the best in the business is the Powell Law Offices who can reached at their outstanding website which is http://www.powelllawoffices.net/.

How to seek Help if You cannot Make a Timely Payment?

It is in your best interest to pay child support regularly. However, there might be circumstances when you have a genuine reason for not been able to make the payment. In such a case, it is important to contact your local enforcement agency and ask them to provide you with a temporary payment-plan if a full payment seems impossible within the stipulated date.

Perhaps you were in a car accident and you have to pay for car damages. Even if the car accident was not your fault this case could take a couple of months before it is worked out. You cannot get to work without a car and riding a bike is not practical for someone in your situation. The weather could be terrible or perhaps you live too far away from your job.

It is important to be aware that if you are affected by a long term financial hardship then you can ask the court to revise the child support order. This will be granted if the court finds that you have a genuine problem. For instance, you will are more likely to get the amount reduced if you have suffered a job loss, medical emergency, or if there has been a change in your child’s needs, which are some of the common issues highlighted by Spokane, WA divorce lawyers.

Inability to make a Payment will not affect Visitation Rights

Child support and visitation rights are two separate issues. Your ex-spouse will not be able to deny you visitation rights if you have been unable to pay your child support dues. This means the custodial parent has no right to restrict access to the non-custodial parent. 

If you find yourself unable to pay child support or have not received support make sure to consult an Eastern Washington State or Spokane divorce lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights. You cannot wrong if you contact Powell Law Offices. They know this legal domain and have numerous satisfied clients.