Your divorce is final, and your children are adjusting to their new life with one custodial parent. When that parent is you, the court has a formula it uses to calculate the child support you will be receiving. With or without a local child support attorney in your corner, you should be able to depend on your ex to pay—in full and on time—so the children are not deprived of what they need.
However, non-custodial parents sometimes stop the checks altogether. Perhaps they lose their jobs or become ill or incapacitated. What do you do when your children’s security is at risk? A Frisco child support enforcement lawyer could work with the Texas Attorney General’s (AG’s) office, the arm of government tasked with enforcing support payments, or return to family court to modify a court ruling, all in the best interests of the family. Contact our firm now to understand your rights and explore your options for securing child support.
Texas has set guidelines for determining what a non-custodial spouse should pay in child support. Allowances vary from the basic guidelines for special needs children and those with mental or other medical needs. Generally, guidelines include:
Our Frisco child support enforcement attorneys believe these negotiations do not have to be angst-ridden and confrontational. Before we resort to adversarial proceedings involving the Attorney General’s office, we could negotiate with the non-custodial parent to settle child support disputes calmly and carelessly.
Children deserve care and support from both parents. It is our goal to make that happen in a non-litigious way, although we do not hesitate to go to court when necessary. There are several strategies a Frisco child support enforcement attorney could employ in tandem with the Texas Attorney General’s office.
Our attorneys could identify a non-custodial spouse’s employer, who will be compelled to garnish their wages each payday and remit them to the court. We could also alert the AG’s office about an ex-spouse’s failure to pay child support, which requires the AG to report the delinquent payments to all the major credit reporting agencies.
The AG’s office could also file liens to establish an interest for the custodial parent in real property that is not homesteaded, bank accounts, insurance policies, or other assets owned by the non-custodial parent.
Once a delinquent parent falls three months behind on child support payments, certain licenses can be suspended, the most common being driver’s, hunting, and fishing licenses. Professional licenses, such as for lawyers, doctors, and dentists, could also be withheld, severely impacting the ability to engage in a profession. Warnings are initially issued, giving the delinquent parent a chance to catch up on support payments.
After giving a delinquent parent every opportunity to comply with the court order, lawsuits are a last resort. An enforcement action asks the judge to decide. Judges could hold delinquent parents in civil contempt and set a repayment schedule—often with financial penalties—or modify payments when the nonpayer is ill or incapacitated. Judges could also rule the parent in criminal contempt and order them to be jailed. A Frisco attorney could help explore all possibilities for enforcing payment of child support.
A Frisco child support enforcement lawyer advocates for your family. Every member of our firm works hard to cultivate a calm and friendly atmosphere. This is less stressful for you and goes a long way toward bringing non-compliant parents to their senses concerning a court order for support. With this in mind, we are not afraid to take a more aggressive approach when needed. Reach out today to begin reviewing the details of your situation with a member of our team.
Our Law Firm’s approach to your case is based on individual circumstances. Whether it is a simple negotiated settlement, or it requires an aggressive approach, we will protect and defend your best interests.
