What Happens When A Fort Lauderdale Parent Stops Paying Child Support?
If you are the parent counting on child support payments that suddenly stop showing up, or you are the parent who has fallen behind, you probably have the same underlying question: what actually happens next? Unpaid child support does not just disappear or quietly resolve itself. Florida has a structured system for addressing missed payments, and the consequences can escalate quickly if the issue is not addressed.
The First Signs of a Problem
A missed payment here or there might seem minor, but arrears add up. Once a parent falls behind, the receiving parent has options through the court system or through Florida’s Child Support Program, which is administered by the Department of Revenue. But how long does it typically take before enforcement action actually begins, and what triggers that process?
Generally speaking, enforcement can start once a delinquency is documented. The receiving parent, or the state on their behalf in many cases, can pursue a range of remedies designed to compel payment.
License Suspension as an Enforcement Tool
One of the more significant consequences a non-paying parent may face involves professional and driver’s licenses. Under section 61.13015, Florida Statutes, an obligee may petition the court to suspend or deny a delinquent obligor’s professional license or certificate, provided other remedies have already been exhausted. A related statute allows for suspension of driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations in similar circumstances. For many parents, the risk of losing the ability to drive to work or maintain a professional license becomes a strong incentive to resolve the arrearage.
Wage Garnishment, Liens, and Contempt
Income withholding orders are standard in Florida child support cases, meaning payments can be deducted directly from a paying parent’s paycheck. When that alone does not resolve the shortfall, the receiving parent can also request that the court hold the non-paying parent in contempt. Contempt proceedings carry real weight. Depending on the circumstances, a judge may order the arrears paid immediately, impose additional sanctions, or, in more serious or repeated cases, order incarceration until a purge amount is paid. Could a job loss or medical emergency change how a court views a missed payment? It might, which is why documentation and communication with the court matter so much.
What a Parent Falling Behind Should Consider
Circumstances change. A parent who loses a job, faces a medical crisis, or experiences a significant drop in income is not necessarily without options. Rather than letting arrears accumulate silently, a parent in that position may be able to request a modification of the existing support order. Waiting until enforcement action is already underway tends to narrow the available options considerably.
What a Parent Owed Support Should Consider
On the other side, a parent who is owed support and not receiving it should not assume the situation will resolve on its own. Keeping detailed records of missed payments, communicating in writing, and understanding which enforcement tools are available can make a meaningful difference in how quickly the issue gets addressed.
Contact Our Fort Lauderdale Child Support Attorneys
Whether you are behind on payments or you are not receiving the support you are owed, the situation rarely improves by waiting. Our Fort Lauderdale child support attorneys at the office of Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. help parents throughout Fort Lauderdale address delinquent support, pursue enforcement, and request modifications when circumstances genuinely warrant a change. Contact us to discuss where things stand and what options may be available in your case.
Source:
flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2018/0061.13015