Child support may be a necessity for some in the aftermath of a divorce, depending on their financial situation. When child support payments stop coming in, the well-being of the children in question may be at stake.
In these situations, there are methods of appealing to Texas courts for enforcement in a variety of ways.
General methods of enforcement
According to the Children’s Rights Council, there are 10 methods of enforcing child support. These include targeting a noncustodial parent’s income or tax refunds through wage garnishment or the IRS. The courts may also issue liens or levies on lump-sum payouts like the lottery.
Those in Texas failing to pay child support may find it difficult to attain or maintain licenses from over 60 agencies including driver’s licenses, passports or even hunting and fishing licenses.
Criminal contempt in Texas
The courts may take criminal legal action in order to force payment. According to the Texas Attorney General, those evading child support may find themselves publically identified as delinquent. The law requires the Attorney General to identify people if delinquent child support exceeds $5,000 and they have an arrest warrant issued.
Those parents who have civil or criminal sentences—like days in jail or fine amounts—levied against them must serve those sentences even if they pay the full amount of child support owed.
Anyone facing delinquent child support payments has a rocky path ahead of them. In the interests of financial stability as well as the safety and support of children, it is useful to research this topic further when pursuing child support appeals in Texas courts.