On behalf of The Law Offices of Mary Ann Beaty, PC posted in Child Support on Friday, April 14, 2017.
Texas has tried many approaches to make sure parents make up their delinquent child support payments, but enforcement continues to be challenging for the state, and for the custodial parents and children who depend on these payments. Some non-custodial parents are simply willing to take the risk of various punishments if they do not make the payments they are supposed to based on the legal agreement with the custodial parent.
However, there is one strategy that is showing increased effectiveness: the state is not allowing a parent who has delinquent payments on his or her record to renew the registration for a motor vehicle.
A representative with the Texas Office of the Attorney General told reporters that the program was put into place in September and has proven effective. The state has gotten more than $1 million for more than 4,600 cases involving parents who were not paying child support. State records indicate that there are more than 1 million parents who are supposed to be paying child support. Almost half are behind by a one month or more.
Penalties that the government uses to get the payments have ranged from intercepting tax refunds and lottery winnings, withholding wages, and denying professional and recreational licenses.
Regardless of the methods used, the child is the most important person in cases such as these. Parents who are not getting what they are owed in child support must make sure to call an attorney to discuss methods that can be used for child support enforcement.
Source: dfw.cbslocal.com, “Texas To Withhold Car Registration If Child Support Is Owed,” April 11, 2017
