Overcoming Personal and Legal Challenges

Overcoming Personal and Legal Challenges

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Reviewing child support order enforcement in Alabama

Whether you unexpectedly lose your job or face financial hardships for another reason, paying child support could become difficult at some point. If you fall behind on payments, you could face devastating consequences, and it is crucial to understand how Alabama enforces these orders.

It is also important to review your options if you want to modify your child support order and take steps to avoid falling behind in the first place.

The penalties for missing child support payments

The Alabama Department of Human Resources covers some of the different penalties associated with back child support. For example, if you owe more than $2,500, you could have your passport revoked or lose the ability to receive a U.S. passport. The state could suspend or revoke your driver’s license as well as recreational and professional licenses, and you could have a lien placed on your property.

In addition, your federal or state tax refund could become intercepted, and the state will report your arrears to credit bureaus if you owe more than $1,000 in unpaid child support.

Addressing unpaid child support

If you have already fallen behind on child support, you need to immediately go over the options in front of you. In fact, some parents even face time behind bars due to their inability to make child support payments.

You could benefit from setting up a payment plan and looking for ways to set aside more money to pay what you owe. It is critical to address back child support as soon as possible, especially since the penalties can become more serious over time.