If you are currently paying child support and feel it is an unfair amount, you might be considering a stop on payments. Unfortunately, no matter how you feel about the arrangement, you are still under obligation to pay it. Choosing not to pay your agreed upon child support payments could have some potentially severe aftermath. From additional fines, to job interferences, and on down the line. Ultimately, failure to pay child support can land you in a world of trouble.
Failure to Pay Child Support: Facing the Consequences
Until you can renegotiate the terms of your child support payments, you’re ultimately under obligation to make them. If you’re facing financial hardship, I suggest reaching out to the other parent and seeing what kind of agreement you can reach. Because, if you do not pay— and you don’t show any effort to do so, you can face any of the following consequences depending on severity:
Dismissal from military
The military is quite serious about taking care of it’s dependents. While the military cannot force a member to pay without court order, they can most definitely make their life harder. Whether that be extra duty, or reduction of rank or pay. Ultimately, you are violating the ‘Uniform Code of Military Justice’ and can be court-martialed for anything from failure to obey order, willfully disobeying an officer, or bringing discredit upon the armed forces. As we’ve said they take denying your duties quite seriously.
Direct contact to your employer
Failure to pay child support can have a lot of consequences. But, one of the most embarrassing and public— is that of the state having to contact your employer. In doing so, they will become aware of your lack of payment. After the state contacts your employer, child support will draft directly from your paycheck. No one wants their home life to be brought into their work sphere. It’s personal, it’s embarrassing, but, if you don’t pay child support— it is a likely outcome.
Fines and Penalties
If you don’t pay child support, the state will likely tack on additional fees and fines to the amount you already owe. Back paying child support with added fines can be extremely costly, and if you can’t afford to do so— it’s much harder to convince a judge and the state after avoiding it. That leads us to our final point…
Jail time
While this is a last resort, it is still likely. The amount of time is dependent on the judge, and the amount of money is still owed. I’m sure you’re aware that working while you’re in jail, is pretty impossible to do. So, you emerge with more work and money to catch up on than ever before. Ultimately, your best bet is paying what you have to pay while you work towards a solution.