Once you've decided who will handle your child support collection, it will
be time to actually collect the money. Various methods exist to get deadbeat
parents to pay what they owe, some more unpleasant than others.
Ask for it--It's surprising how often asking a parent to pay child support
will help. When custodial parents stay on top of the parent who owes,
arrearages are less likely to accrue. Communication between parents is also
important for other aspects of children's lives, and parents who are able to
talk effectively are demonstrating good problem solving for their children.
Garnish Wages--If a parent starts to get behind on child support, garnishing
his or her wages is a good first step toward getting what is owed. Parents
whose child support is collected by a government child support enforcement
agency don't have to initiate this step themselves; the agency will
automatically garnish wages if a parent becomes a month behind on child
support. An individual or his or her lawyer can also request the court that
handled the support order to garnish wages of the parent who isn't paying. Call
or visit the court and ask what sort of paperwork is necessary.
Intercept Taxes--Sometimes garnishing wages is not an option, for example if
a noncustodial parent is self-employed or changes jobs frequently. The
custodial parent can talk to his or her government support enforcement agency
or attorney about having the delinquent child support withheld from the
noncustodial parent's state or federal income taxes.
Property Liens--If the noncustodial parent owns a lot of property and other
tactics have failed to get him or her to pay child support, the parent or his
or her agent can place liens against the property. Only personal property (not
business property) is eligible, and some states won't allow liens on property
that's owned jointly with another person. Remember, a property lien doesn't
yield cash until the property is sold, so it could be a long time before the
money appears.