If you assumed primary parental responsibility for your children in a divorce or if the court awarded them to you after contested proceedings, your obligations to your children include providing them with housing, feeding them and making sure that they have clothing, school supplies and other necessities.
The more children you have and the older they are, the more expensive their basic maintenance becomes. You probably rely on child support just to balance your budget every month. Unfortunately, whether through circumstances beyond their control or intentional acts, your ex may not be in a position to pay child support.
What are your options as a New Jersey parent when your ex isn’t meeting their support obligations?
You can ask the New Jersey family courts for enforcement
When you have a child support arrangement, it comes in the form of a court order. Your ex can’t just choose to ignore it without potentially incurring legal ramifications. New Jersey can take many actions against a parent parent who doesn’t pay support.
These include garnishing their wages, seizing lottery or gambling winnings, taking some or all of a federal or state tax return, denying a new or renewed passport application, suspending professional, recreational and driver’s licenses and even issuing bench warrants. In some cases, the courts can also seize property from your ex or place a lien against their property until they begin paying support in full.
If your ex hasn’t paid support but still have resources to provide for your children, getting help with child support enforcement will make the process easier for everyone involved.
