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Wages garnished for father whose child support was up to date

On Behalf of | Nov 23, 2015 | Child Support |

When a Texas family court orders child support, there are certain procedures to be followed. Deviating from those procedures and making alternative arrangements for paying can have devastating consequences. A Texas father who chose to pay his ex-wife directly rather than submitting payments to the child support disbursement center found his wages garnished for the money he had already paid.

The man said he was advised by the Office of the Attorney General that he owed $40,000 in child support payments. Although he could prove that his child support payments were not behind, a garnishment was ordered against his salary before he could provide the necessary proof. From then on, the normal $1200 child support payment plus and administration fee was deducted from his wages every month.

This did not only impact on his financial stability, but it also impacted his credit score. The word garnishment is defined on the Attorney General’s website as “a legal proceeding under which part of a person’s wages and/or assets is withheld for payment of a debt. This term is usually used to specify that an income or wage withholding is involuntary. ” However, a spokesperson at the OAG apparently told the father that, in his case, his company should have called it a child support withdrawal rather than a child support garnishment as indicated on his pay stub.

The man eventually got some response after contacting the media and his state representative. He was subsequently contacted by the OAG and is hopeful that the problem will be solved. Any Texas parent who is facing issues related to child support payments may find that the guidance of an experienced child support attorney may avoid situations such as the above. A lawyer can ensure the correct legal procedures are followed, and he or she may also be able to resolve issues easier than a person without legal counsel.

Source: keyetv.com, “Central Texas man fighting AG’s office over child support already paid”, Adela Uchida, Nov.17, 2015