Ways to recover owed child support in Louisiana

As we discussed last week, the cost of raising a child can be enormous. Although the financial responsibility tied to raising a kid can be daunting when a couple decides to take it on together, single parents can face an even more difficult time making ends meet while also providing their child with what he or she needs and deserves. This is why recovering child support from a noncustodial parent is so important. Doing so can ease the burden on a custodial parent and ensure that the financial responsibility of raising a child is shared fairly amongst the child’s parents.

Yet, as many Louisiana parents know, recovering owed child support isn’t always easy. In fact, oftentimes, noncustodial parents may pay an insufficient amount or, as is more likely, fail to make payments at all. Fortunately, there are ways to try to recover owed child support, and the state may be able to help.

Child support enforcement orders can take many forms. They may redirect a noncustodial parent’s wages from his or her paycheck to the custodial parent, they may intercept and redirect tax refunds, and they can even confiscate any lottery winnings and pay them to the custodial parent. But those aren’t the only ways to ensure child support is paid. A noncustodial parent can also be held in contempt of court, face jail, have his or her passport denied, and even face suspension of his or her vehicle registration and professional licensures.

Therefore, custodial parents who are not receiving what they are owed need to take it upon themselves to find a way to recover unpaid child support. This often means considering discussing the matter with a family law attorney and taking the matter to court. On the other side, noncustodial parents who find themselves unable to pay their obligations may wish to think about pursuing a child support modification.

Source: Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services, “Child Support Enforcement Services Provided,” accessed on May 19, 2017