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WHAT A FAMILY LAWYER IN MOBERLY, MISSOURI CAN DO REGARDING CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT

Thomas Mingus Nov. 16, 2014

A divorce is an incredibly difficult and painful experience for all involved. It’s even worse when children are involved, and sometimes a parent refuses to obey support orders. This can be due to a variety of reasons, but the fact is that while they are disobeying a court order, it is often difficult to compel compliance without the assistance of a good family lawyer in Moberly, Missouri.

Options for Enforcement

If a parent is refusing to pay their court-ordered support, you can contact the Family Support Division (FSD) of the Missouri Department of Social Services. A family lawyer in Moberly, Missouri who is familiar with the FSD will likely have more success. The FSD can do the following:

  • Garnish wages

  • Seize tax refunds

  • Seize lottery winnings

  • Compel the parent’s employers to add children to healthcare plans

  • File property liens

  • Suspend driver’s licenses and other licenses

  • Work with other states if the parent lives outside of Missouri.

If none of these actions have the desired effect, a family lawyer in Moberly, Missouri can also work with the FSD to file charges of contempt of court, or even criminal charges for non-support.

Filing Charges

There are some considerations when filing charges:

  • Filing charges or garnishing wages can make a bad relationship and situation worse.

  • In cases of non-payment, former spouses are often not in close contact and the financial situation of the supporting spouse may have changed.

A good attorney will know how best to proceed, and be able to investigate the facts of the other parent’s finances in order to form an action plan for the resumption of support and back payments.

Filed Under: Child Support