You finished the complicated and emotionally exhausting process of filing for divorce. Everything is settled, and your parenting plan is in place so you and your ex both understand the custody arrangement. You finally start to feel like you can begin to move forward with your life.
It’s all good — until your ex refuses to comply with the child support order. He called you to say that he lost his job and he’s looking for another one. When you try to follow up a few weeks later, you can’t get a hold of him, and now he isn’t picking up his child for visitation, either. What happens next?
Child support is a legal court order
Even though it’s frustrating that you need to engage the law again, the truth is, the child support order was established by the court because it is what’s in the best interest of your child. If your ex refuses to pay or delays paying the amount they are responsible for, there will be legal consequences.
Some possible actions that the state of California may take against your ex include:
- Suspending their driver’s license or passport
- Placing a lien on their bank account or property
- Revoking their professional or occupational licenses
- Seizing their tax refunds or lottery winnings
The state of California takes child support enforcement seriously. Any missed payments will accrue a 10% interest charge on top of what is owed. If you find yourself in a tight financial situation and you can’t afford to wait for your ex to make things right, you may want to pursue litigation to recover past-due child support payments.