Effective Strategies to Clearing Child Support Arrears
How to Get Child Support Arrears Dismissed
When you are facing child support issues, accumulated interest on missed payments can become a problem quickly. When you are dealing with changed circumstances and financial responsibilities get in the way, the accumulating child support payments can become overwhelming fast. That leads to child support arrears.
As a non-custodial parent, your current child support order may be too much for you. However, you may be unsure how to get child support arrears dismissed. Fortunately, you do not have to face this alone. Child support attorneys have the tools to help you get child support arrears dismissed so that you can avoid harsh penalties that make it even harder to get your life back on track.
What Are Child Support Arrears?
Many parents face medical bills and other expenses as the custodial parent, and so the non-custodial parents are expected to pay child support when only one parent is managing the child’s needs on a regular basis. However, child support payments can be a major concern for your financial situation. You may have just lost your job, or you may make less than you did when the agreement was written.
Child support arrears arise in child support matters such as unpaid child support and other expenses like interest and additional costs. While the other parents may be due child support, your current child support agreement may be too much for you to handle. Fortunately, a family law attorney can help in child support cases like these and help both parents come to an agreement on resolving child support arrears and pain retroactive child support.
Penalties for Failure to Pay Child Support
When you receive a court order for your child support obligation, you may face penalties for failing to meet that payment plan. When you are financially supporting a child but your financial situation changes, those penalties can be harsh.
For example, you may have part of your tax returns taken. You may have liens on your bank account to pay back child support. Others may lose their driver’s license for an extended period through this legal process because of this financial responsibility.
In situations of severe financial hardship where court child support orders are unpaid, you may even face a prison sentence. That makes it even harder to pay off child support arrears and meet the needs for your child’s well-being.
That makes things difficult for all parties involved. Your co-parent may also need that financial stability, and if your financial circumstances change, it can make a reasonable payment plan vital. If the custodial parent turns to public assistance for help, you may be left with unassigned child support arrears to pay them and assigned arrears to pay to the state.
How Do I Get My Child Support Arrears Dismissed?
When you are assigned child support arrears, it can be difficult to change your child support order and get child support arrears dismissed. Fortunately, there are legal avenues for navigating child support modifications, especially if you have suffered income changes that put you in child support debt.
Typically, your first step is to speak with the other party who has physical custody and who you have child support obligations to. They can discuss child support modifications with you and potentially make a request as custodial parents to get child support orders adjusted. Being a unified front sometimes makes a big difference.
You may also be able to enroll in a debt reduction program, especially if your employment status has changed and you are on public assistance. If you have a serious medical condition, you may even be able to get past due child support adjusted or forgiven depending on the custodial parent’s needs.
How a Family Law Attorney Can Help You
Paying child support isn’t an option. Yet, child support enforcement can make it difficult to recover from your current financial situation and pay off retroactive support. You may feel overwhelmed by these payments and the penalties you face.
Fortunately, your family law attorneys can guide you through this process. When parents fall on hard times and cannot make regular child support payments, family law attorneys can step in, mediate an agreement for both parties, and represent their clients in court to get a new agreement written. This can help both parties get the assistance they need without suffering harsh penalties for funds they do not have.
Connect with a Child Support Attorney in Maryland
Child support arrears can become overwhelming quickly. You may have already not had the money to pay your child support, only to have further expenses piled on top of that. That can become a mountain of debt you cannot dig out of easily. That is why the attorneys at Parker, Pallet, Slezak & Russell, LLC offer assistance with cases like yours to help you overcome these painful situations.
If you are struggling to get your child support arrears dismissed, reach out for legal support for your case. A family law attorney can guide you through this process, help you build a child support agreement that works for you and the custodial parent, and find your way out of this debt. To learn more, reach out for a consultation by calling or filling out our online contact form.
