Help! I Cant Pay My Child Support Payments
You would be hard pressed to find anyone that would not agree that child support payments are important. It is, after all, not only a legal obligation but a moral obligation as well. With the state of our current economy, however, facts and circumstances may have changed that could negatively impact your ability to make timely payments. While it is certainly true that this process in not easy, you may be able to lower child support payments in certain circumstances.
Negotiate with Your Ex
If you maintain a good relationship with your child’s other parent, you may be able to negotiate directly with them to lower your monthly payment. The child’s best interest should be, after all, your primary concern. If your finances are troublesome, however, chances are that your ex’s aren’t much better. The good news is that most state agencies allow that parent that is due child support to make the final determination as to whether or not a reduction, either temporary or permanent, is warranted.
Negotiate with Your Local Child Support Agency
For most people, contacting your local child support agency turns out to be the most effective way to negotiate back child support payments or lowering child support payments that are due. These agencies try their best to remain neutral and keep the child in mind when making a ruling that affects their lives. They do, however, take into any changes that may have occurred since the original court order was issued; such as a change in the paying parent’s job status.
Go Back to Court
The last thing that you will want to do is to go back to court. For some reason, courts are less likely to allow parents to lower child support payments without a drastic life change occurring that would make it virtually impossible to make consistent monthly payments. Of course, if negotiating with the other parent or child support agencies proves to be unfruitful, then you may not have any other choice.
As with any legal issue, it is always a good idea to seek the advice of a lawyer or other certified expert with this area. Keep in mind that unless you find someone willing to take your case for free you will incur additional legal expenses which may or not make the situation worse.
Failing to Make Timely Child Support Payments
Many people are under the erroneous belief that they can simply stop making their child support payments. This is a terrible idea. Child support is typically a legal order issued by the court and, as such, can lead to legal action if ignored. Common results of not paying include prison time, wage garnishments or levies, tax return levies, and loss of visitation rights with your child.
With that being said if you can afford to make your payments on time each month then do so. Only if you find that you simply cannot afford to live should you consider trying to lower child support payments to your ex.