Enforcement of a Child Support Order

Raising a child can be expensive, and many single parents lack the financial means to provide for their children without assistance. As a result, they often seek child support from their co-parents. Unfortunately, simply because the courts issue an order requiring a parent to pay child support does not necessarily mean the parent will abide by that order, and, unfortunately, many parents neglect their child-support obligations to the detriment of their children and co-parents. However, there are measures a party owed child support can take to protect their rights, and anyone owed child support should talk to an attorney as soon as possible to discuss these measures. The assertive Dallas child-support attorneys at McClure Law Group have ample experience fighting for the enforcement of child-support orders, and if you engage our services, we will zealously advocate on your behalf.  

A party seeking enforcement of a child-support order must generally file a motion with the court that issued the original order. The motion must set forth the provision of the order in question that the responding party violated and that the moving party seeks to enforce, and the manner in which the responding party violated the provision. Generally, in actions for enforcement of a child-support order, this will require the moving party to set forth the amounts owed according to the underlying order, the amounts actually paid, and the amounts in arrears. The motion must also state the relief requested, and must be signed by the moving party or his or her attorney. The moving party may also include a copy of a record of child-support payments maintained by a local registry or the Title IV-D registry in support of the motion.

The courts may employ a variety of methods to enforce a child-support order. In addition to issuing an order requiring a party to comply with the support order, a court may hold the responding party in contempt, which can lead to monetary fines, jail time, or community supervision (i.e., probation). The court can also issue an order stating that the obligor parent's employer must withhold earnings from the obligor parent's paycheck to meet his or her child-support obligations and pay any overdue amounts.

The courts may issue orders suspending any professional licenses or certificates the obligor holds and his or her driver's license. Fishing licenses and hunting licenses may be suspended, as well. Additionally, the courts can also intercept state and federal tax refunds and lottery winnings to compel compliance with a child-support order, and they can file liens against the obligor parent's home or other real estate and personal property, such as a car or boat. Further, the courts may order the obligor parent to pay the costs and attorney’s fees the moving parent incurred in enforcing the child-support order.

If the obligor parent leaves the state in an attempt to avoid paying child support, the Child Support Division of the Office of Attorney General can work with the state where the obligor parent currently resides to recover support payments.  

The courts often issue child-support orders to ensure that parties who share custody of a child receive adequate financial assistance, and, when parties fail to comply with such orders, it often harms the children involved. If you need help with the enforcement of a child-support order, you should speak to an attorney about your options. The Dallas lawyers of McClure Law Group can advise you of your rights, and aid you in pursuing the best legal outcome possible under the facts of your case. We frequently represent parties in child-support matters in Dallas, Frisco, Irving, McKinney, Richardson, Fort Worth, Rockwall, and Garland. We also present people in family law matters in cities in Dallas, Denton, Rockwall, Collin, Tarrant, and Grayson Counties. You can contact us via our online form or by calling 214.692.8200 to set up a meeting.