Child Support Collection Challenges
December 28, 2016 | Child Support, Legal Perspective
In the state of Pennsylvania, child support is awarded based on statewide guidelines that determine the amount owed after considering the net income of both parents, as well as the number of individuals being supported. In many cases, the calculation to decide the amount of child support that is owed is a simple process, while the collection of child support presents many different challenges.
Enforcing Pittsburgh Child Support Obligations
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services publishes a Child Support Handbook that discusses many of the challenges faced by parents trying to collect child support including:
- Employment: A parent who is obligated to pay child support can be ordered by the judge to find full-time employment. In most cases, child support is owed until a child reaches the age of 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is last to occur. This timeframe is different in some cases, however, such as when a child has special needs. A child support lawyer can review your situation and determine when a parent’s support obligation terminates and what steps can be taken to assure that a parent is paying all of the support that is owed.
- Tax Intercepts: Some parents refuse to pay child support believing that the second parent has no method for collecting the amount that is owed. Fortunately for children in Pittsburgh, there are many ways child support can be collected, including an intercept of state and federal tax refund amounts.
- Wage Garnishment: Most child support awards entered in Pittsburgh require the entry of a court order directing the amounts owed to be withheld from a parent’s wages. The order is sent to an employer who deducts the required amounts for each pay period.
- Pennsylvania Licenses: In some cases, a parent who owes child support can have one or more of their Pennsylvania licenses suspended including:
- Driver’s license
- Professional licenses
- Business licenses
- Bank Accounts: In addition to a tax refund intercept, a parent who owes a past due amount for child support can be subjected to a garnishment of their financial accounts such as a checking or savings account. In some situations, a small business owner can be subjected to a garnishment of their business account.
- Credit History: Just as with any other type of unpaid debt, an overdue child support obligation can be reported to various credit history agencies. This can have a negative effect on an individual’s personal and business credit history.
Contact the Pittsburgh Child Support Lawyers at Pollock Begg Today
If your former partner is not paying the required amount of child support, it is important to speak with a child support attorney as soon as possible so that the past due amount does not get too large. The team of lawyers at Pollock Begg Komar Glasser & Vertz LLC, are familiar with all of the methods available to assist you in collecting child support and they are available to help you today. Call (412) 471-9000 to speak to one of our lawyers or use our online contact form.