Once a legally binding child support agreement is finalized, you can expect your co-parent to comply and send monthly financial support that you’re entitled to, in order to need to meet your kids’ needs. So, if you don’t receive these funds for months on end, you can feel frustrated and cheated out of the financial support you need from your co-parent.
Luckily, you don’t have to endure the financial burden of raising your kids on your own financially because your co-parent continues to violate your child support agreement. You have options you can explore to collect child support and help ensure that your children’s needs are met accordingly.
Reach out to Montana’s Child Support Services Division
Since child support orders are legally binding contracts, there are legal agencies within your state you can reach out to help incentivize enforcement. You can reach out to Montana’s Child Support Services Divisions (CSSD) whether your co-parent is falling behind on payments or outright refuses to contribute. The Treasure State’s CSSD can help alleviate your financial and emotional distress by:
- Locating your non-paying co-parent
- Enforcing your child support order
- Collecting overdue payments
The agency understands that, as the parent who bears the burden of caring for the children, you can use all the financial support you can get. Some administrative actions CSSD can take to compel your non-paying co-parent to pay include:
- Garnishing their wages
- Intercepting their tax refunds
- Placing liens on your co-parent’s property
When you contact the enforcement agency, you’ll need to provide information about:
- Your child support order
- The delinquent payments
- Any details about your non-paying co-parent’s whereabouts
While these processes can take time, they often lead to successful collection of overdue payments.
Garnish wages
Suppose your non-paying co-parent is employed; wage garnishment can be a powerful tool for helping to ensure timely payments. If you decide on this path, your co-parent’s employer will be legally obliged to withhold a portion of your co-parent’s monthly paychecks for child support payments.
You can request wage garnishment through family court or the state’s Child Support Services Division. Wage garnishment is effective because it doesn’t rely on your co-parent’s willingness to make payments. The child support funds will be automatically deducted from their paycheck and sent directly to you.
Collecting child support from your non-compliant co-parent can be a challenging and stressful process. However, by connecting with Montana’s Child Support Services Division, you can take meaningful steps to secure the payments you and your child are owed. Appropriate legal support can help ensure you’re not overwhelmed by the bureaucratic hurdles you may encounter in the process of holding your non-paying co-parent accountable.