713-333-4430How to Enforce a Texas Child Support Order When a Parent Doesn’t Pay
Parents who divorce or live separately in Texas typically share parental rights and responsibilities. Each parent gets a certain amount of time with the children. They also typically share decision-making power and financial responsibility.
A parent who has financial responsibility may be subject to a child support order. They have to provide a certain amount of financial support to the other parent. Discrepancies in household income or imbalanced allocations of parenting time may result in the courts ordering one parent to pay support.
The other parent might rely on child support for basic household needs. If the paying parent falls behind and refuses to fulfill their responsibilities, the recipient parent may need to request enforcement of the child support order.
What does child support enforcement in Texas entail?
Occasionally, the state may take certain enforcement actions on its own. Particularly in scenarios where the child receives state benefits, the state may actively pursue enforcement against the non-paying parent.
Most of the time, however, people have to speak up about child support non-compliance and request enforcement of child support. The courts can then take several steps to rectify the situation. Typically, child support enforcement involves wage garnishment. The state intercepts a portion of the paying parent’s income and distributes it directly to the recipient parent.
In cases where people leave their jobs or accept under-the-table employment to avoid wage garnishment, the state may engage in more aggressive enforcement actions. The state can suspend or refuse to renew a driver’s license. The state can also take action against professional, hunting and fishing licenses. The non-paying parent could lose their eligibility for a passport.
It may be possible for the state to intercept income tax returns in some cases or to place liens against the property of the non-paying parent. In particularly egregious cases, the courts may even issue a capias for the arrest of the non-paying parent for the failure to fulfill the terms of a child support order.
Enforcement actions can incentivize a non-paying parent to make arrangements to catch up on what they owe. In cases where one parent resents the obligation to provide financial support for their children, asking the courts for child support enforcement may be necessary.
Holding a parent accountable for non-payment helps ensure that the other parent can meet the needs of the child and provide them with basic necessities. The professionals at Boudreaux Hunter & Associates can help parents navigate disputes related to child support. We are located at 3555 Timmons Ln Suite 1510, Houston, TX 77027. Contact us online or at (713) 333-4430.
Attorney Kevin Hunter at Boudreaux Hunter & Associates, LLC has experience with child custody, spousal support, high conflict divorce, and is fully equipped to guide you through the process. Learn more about Kevin on his profile here.
