Deadbeat Parents:
When a parent is ordered by the court to pay child support and continuously fails to do so, he or she is commonly referred to as a "
deadbeat."
Stereotypes About Deadbeat Parents:
"Deadbeat parents" and "deadbeat dads" are not synonymous. Not all deadbeat parents are dads! There are also many moms who have been ordered to pay child support and have fallen behind, as you can see from jurisdictions that post lists of their
most wanted deadbeat parents online.
Consequences for the Parent Who Does Not Pay:
There are several things the state can do when a parent falls behind in child support payments. These steps include:
- Garnishing his or her pay
- Refusing to allow the parent to obtain a legal passport
- Intercepting unemployment compensation
- Offsetting federal and/or state income tax refunds
- Enforcing jail time
Taking Action When the Checks Stop Coming:
If you are owed back child support payments, you should contact your local
Child Support Enforcement Office to report the lack of payments. Be prepared to provide detailed explanations of the missed payments, as well as any information you may have about the parent's last known location.
Inability to Pay:
It's also important to be aware that many times the parent who is in arrears simply
does not have the money to pay the child support payments. In some cases, payments may need to be adjusted to reflect the individual's most current earnings. In other cases, the parent owes so much child support that the money will simply never be paid in full.
The Relationship Between Child Support and Child-Parent Visitations:
Child support is completely separate from visitations. In the eyes of the law, the parent who owes back child support payments still has the right to visit with the child. Therefore, any parent who is in distress over missing child support payments should take the steps outlined above instead of withholding visitations. Refusing to allow your child to visit with your co-parent because he or she has unpaid child support could jeopardize your good standing with the courts.
