If you are the recipient or the payer of court ordered child support, you have already been through some sort of court proceeding that outlined each party’s responsibilities when it comes to the financial aspect of raising your child. Child support payments are unique to each family in Santa Rosa and are essentially custom-designed arrangements built to fit the family it affects. There are several factors that go into deciding a child support arrangement; this way it best fits the needs of each family. If there are delinquent child support payments, how does the court view that behavior?

Courts take late child support payments very seriously. Although not the only factor in a child’s upbringing, financial support from both parents is crucial to ensuring that the child has what they need to mature and grow in a healthy environment. Certain children may have more needs than others, like medical issues or enrollment in gifted child classes that make it especially important for them to receive the financial support they need. However, the financial support of both parents is a right that every child should have access to.

When child support payments become delinquent, there are several things that could happen. If circumstances have changed, one can petition the court to adjust the child support arrangement. However, that won’t usually alter the need of one parent to pay their back-owed child support. Wage garnishment is one possible consequence of back-owed child support, and seeking that outcome can be sought by the parent who has primary physical custody and is back-owed child support payments.

While the parents deal with the financial aspects of child support, the child is really the one who will suffer if child support payments are not made. Financial support is key to every child’s growth and development when living with parents who are no longer together. However, one can build a friendly, although platonic, relationship with their child’s other parent to ensure that child support and other aspects of child custody, go smoothly. While this won’t happen in every child custody situation, it is worth a try.

Source: FindLaw, “Child Support Enforcement,” Accessed July 24, 2017