My Ex Is Not Paying Child Support. What Can I Do?
Did you know that the total cost of raising a child to adulthood is estimated at over a quarter of a million dollars? Covering housing, food, and other costs without help from the child’s other parent can be extremely difficult if not impossible. Parents have not only an ethical responsibility but also a legal responsibility to financially support their children. Child support is the mechanism through which parents share child-related costs in Illinois. Read on to learn what you can do if your ex is not paying child support.
Establish a Child Support Court Order
Some parents assume that they do not need a formal child support court order, so they make a casual arrangement with the other parent. Perhaps your child’s other parent was giving you funds to help pay for housing or childcare on a weekly or monthly basis but has suddenly stopped. Unfortunately, the court cannot enforce a handshake child support agreement.
The best way to ensure that and your child will get the financial assistance you need is to petition the court for a child support order. If your child’s father is not providing financial support, he is not on the child’s birth certificate, you must establish paternity before you can ask for a child support order. Paternity may be established in one of three ways in Illinois:
- You and the father sign a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) form
- You obtain an Administrative Paternity Order through the Illinois Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) Division of Child Support Services
- You obtain an Order of Paternity through the court system
Enforcing Child Support When You Have a Court Order
If your child’s other parent is subject to a child support order but is refusing to pay, you will need to take steps to enforce the order. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has the authority to collect child support from a non-paying parent by placing a lien or the parent’s bank account, intercepting the parent’s tax refund, collecting from unemployment benefits, and through other means. You may also enforce a child support order through the courts. The parent may have his or her wages garnished or even be held in contempt of court.
Contact a Will County Child Support Lawyer
If you need to establish paternity, petition the court for a child support order, or force a non-paying parent to pay his or her fair share of child support, a Plainfield child support attorney can help. Call the Law Offices of Tedone & Morton, P.C. at 815-733-5350 for a free consultation. Our Joliet office can be reached at 815-666-1285.
Source:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/090415/cost-raising-child-america.asp
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