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Enforcing child support orders

On Behalf of | Sep 17, 2021 | Family Law

The loss of a job, a drastic increase in rent or various other factors may affect people’s finances and cause them to fall behind on their child support payments. However, when ordered by the court, parents must fulfill their financial responsibilities toward their children or face potential repercussions.

If parents owe past-due child support, North Carolina Child Support Services has several enforcement options.

Income withholding

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the state’s child support services may issue income withholding orders to collect parents’ payments. Such orders require employers to deduct specified amounts from noncustodial parents’ incomes. Employers forward the funds deducted to the North Carolina Child Support Centralized Collections as the noncustodial parents’ payments.

Tax intercepts

According to the North Carolina DHHS, CSS may intercept the state tax refunds of noncustodial parents in arrears of $50 or more. In public assistance cases, CSS has the option to seize the federal tax refunds of parents owing $150 or more. CSS may intercept federal tax refunds in nonpublic assistance cases when parents have at least $500 in past-due child support.

License revocations

To encourage parents in arrears on child support to pay what they owe, CSS may revoke their driver’s or professional licenses. CSS has the option of pursuing license revocations when parents fall 90-days or more behind on their court-ordered obligations. Until parents pay back all they owe or make alternative arrangements, they will not have their licenses reinstated.

When parents fall behind on their court-ordered child support obligations, they may suffer the legal consequences, and their children may suffer as well. However, options exist to help those in arrears get caught up, so they may avoid the potential fallout of not paying.