Child support is important to parenting a kid, but what if your ex-partner refuses to pay? This may be a difficult and stressful situation, but you can take actions to guarantee that your kid receives the financial support he or she is entitled to, such as speaking to a divorce attorney Boston.
Here are some suggestions on what to do if your ex refuses to pay child support.
Make sure you have a child support order.
The first step in getting your ex to pay child support is to obtain a court order requiring payment to the custodial parent. You do not have a requirement until you have an order. You are merely praying for your ex’s good graces in the absence of a payment necessity. That is not a way to live.
Do you have an order? Excellent. Return to the child support orders and double-check if child support or alimony has been awarded and that any unpaid child support is past due. If payment is past due and you have an ex breaking a legal order, gathering proof to substantiate your case is important.
Gather evidence that proves non-payment
You now need to acquire evidence that your ex is not paying. This is usually simple because your ex should pay via check or money order, wire transfer, income withholding order, or depositing funds. If your ex pays by money order or check, you should go online and get bank records indicating that the child support payments have not been placed into your account.
You can do this by retrieving bank records for the relevant period. Most banks display deposits at the top of each monthly statement, and a brief inspection of records might show that payment was not made.
Do not be scared to use canceled checks if necessary. Remember that your objective should be to convince your ex to pay child support now and, hopefully, in the future. Before you meet a lawyer, be sure you have everything the lawyer may need.
Request a Child Support Enforcement Order from the court.
It is now time to urge the court to compel your ex to pay child support and maybe punish them in contempt of court. This is often carried out with the assistance of a family law lawyer. However, whether you tackle it alone or with a lawyer’s assistance, you will submit a petition to the court clerk to re-open your closed case.
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