Monitoring & Enforcing Child Support Orders

Local child support agencies monitor cases to ensure the court orders are being obeyed. If the court order is not being obeyed, the agency will take action. Cases to collect past-due support may be opened up to 20 years after the youngest child on the court order reaches the age of 18.

To use staff time and resources most efficiently and effectively, child support agencies use their experience to choose which actions they take and when. For instance, they might write warning letters before they take a more drastic action. Some enforcement actions require due process and/or a court action.

Child support agencies have many tools to help them enforce child support orders. Some actions – such as implementing income withholding  –  are automatic by law, and take effect as soon as a court order for support is issued. Other actions  – such as charging interest, intercepting tax refunds, and imposing child support liens – are automatic by law when the amount of past-due support reaches a certain level. Other actions – such as certifying a license for enforcement action (denial, suspension, or non-renewal) to the license-issuing agency, and taking court actions – are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Paying parents: To avoid accumulating past-due support if your income decreases, please contact your child support agency. They can help. Click here for more information.

 

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