As a parent you have a legal obligation to support your children. When you are ordered to pay child support as the non-custodial parent, you simply must pay. If you don’t pay your child support you may face serious consequence. The following is a list of enforcement measures that can be used against you if you don’t pay your child support in Oklahoma.
• An order may be given to your employer to withhold income from your paycheck.
• Your federal and state tax returns may be intercepted.
• You may have liens placed on your property.
• You may have your name included on the Oklahoma Child Support Enforcement’s Most Wanted.
• You may have licenses and permits suspended. This could mean your driver’s license, professional licenses, recreational licenses and/or your business permits.
• You may also have your vehicle registration suspended, meaning the registrations for your car, motorcycle, boat, airplane, truck etc.
• You can be denied a passport.
• You may be held in contempt of court and be sentenced to jail time.
If you have been ordered to pay child support you are legally required to make your payments regardless of where you live. The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act allows for child support to be enforced across state lines. In addition, the Oklahoma Child Support Enforcement Division has access to federal resources that enable them to find you and begin enforcement procedures in the state where you are located.
Unless the custodial parent agrees to other arrangements, wage garnishment is the standard way of paying child support in Oklahoma. If you quit your job to avoid paying child support, you may have your assets seized or be held in contempt of court and sentenced to jail time. In addition, the court may continue to use your previous income to calculate how much child support you must pay.
Exceptions Are Rare in Oklahoma Child Support
As a rule you must pay court ordered child support no matter the circumstance. You cannot for instance withhold payment because you have a dispute with the custodial parent over visitation or how your children are being raised. You may however seek a modification of your payments if there have been significant changes in your circumstance since your payment amount was last calculated. The loss of employment and serious illness, as well as, a change in the marital status or income of either parent may be grounds for a modification.
While future child support payments may be modified in the event that your financial circumstances change, it is virtually impossible to avoid paying back child support. Back child support cannot be reduced retroactively nor can it be discharged by filing bankruptcy. Furthermore, back child support may even be enforced against your estate in the event of your death.
As you can see, you face numerous unwanted and unnecessary consequences if you don’t pay child support in Oklahoma. If you simply cannot make your child support payments, you should go to court as soon as possible and request a modification or consult with an attorney who can advise you on other options to deal with your circumstances.
Free Consultation:
Tulsa Oklahoma Child Support Attorney
To find out more about child support in Tulsa Oklahoma, contact the Tulsa child support attorney at Divorce Law Office of Tulsa: 918-924-5526. We offer free, no obligation consultations. If you prefer you may send your question using the “Ask the Lawyer” form on the right side of this page.
