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Failure To Pay Child Support

Zentz Law is home to trusted Indiana criminal defense experts who are here to help you navigate Indiana’s complex child support and child custody law.

Whether you’re facing financial difficulties or grappling with a significant change in circumstances, our firm of child support lawyers is here to guide clients through family law and child support matters and help you avoid the consequences of non-payment.

How Indianapolis Child Support Lawyers Can Help You

Our experienced attorneys are here to provide comprehensive assistance tailored to your unique circumstances. When tackling complex family law cases, your child support lawyer thoroughly analyzes your case by evaluating existing child support orders and arrears. 

Working With Parents

Assessing Both Parents’ Financial Situations: Your child support lawyer will review your financial circumstances and the factors contributing to thefailure child support kid holding hand past-due child support. This analysis allows the lawyer to provide informed guidance on the available options for resolution.

Facilitating Communication: Tensions rise when parents divorce, and you need an attorney who knows family law and can serve as a skilled mediator. They foster open dialogue and facilitate productive discussions to reach mutually beneficial agreements.

Advocating for Fair Agreements: A substantial change in a parent’s income is sometimes inevitable, necessitating child support modification arrangements. When this happens, your family law or child support lawyer advocates on your behalf in legal proceedings. They ensure the child support determined will align with your income and the child’s best interests.

Creating Solutions: Your Indianapolis area attorney will create a custom strategy that accounts for the unique factors of each parent, custody arrangement, and terms of your divorce. Your attorney can develop actionable plans to pay what’s due, adhere to Indianapolis court orders, and resolve tension in post-divorce families.

Legal Facilitation

Providing Legal Representation: If the legal system pursues one parent for non-payment, the family lawyer takes the lead in court and during negotiations. They present a compelling case on your behalf, striving to reduce consequences and reach a reasonable resolution.

Exploring Diverse Resolution Paths: Your child support attorney explores all the avenues for resolving past-due child support. We explore whether our clients can pay a lump-sum settlement or arrange an installment payment plan that meets the needs of both parents.

Asserting Legal Rights: If you believe you’re being treated unjustly in support or child custody cases, Zentz Law Indianapolis family law attorneys know how to stand up for you. There are proven strategies and arguments that will address any inequities in legal proceedings and secure a fair outcome.

A Zentz Law Indianapolis child support lawyer is your trusted advocate navigating past-due child support cases and child custody matters. Schedule a free case evaluation today at 317-220-6056 or send us an email.

Our firm’s expertise, professionalism, and commitment to your interests ensure that our clients receive comprehensive support throughout the legal process. Zentz Law offices help our post-divorce clients find peace of mind during complex situations. 

Securing expert legal counsel becomes even more crucial if you have to go to court. If you need to modify child support or any other child support matter, our team of Indianapolis child support lawyers will stand by you in court.

Whether you’re facing enforcement actions or contempt charges, our legal team will vigorously defend your rights and work toward a favorable outcome.

What Is Indiana Child Support?

Securing an official child support order ensures children have the financial support they deserve from each parent instead of one parent shouldering the burden. Court-ordered child support payments are intended to meet the well-being and needs of the children involved after divorce.

Child support helps cover various expenses, including housing, food, clothing, education, extracurricular activities, and healthcare. 

failure child support parentContrary to misconceptions, the custodial parent does not have unrestricted control over these funds; they are designated for the children’s care and expenses. Thus, the receiving parent serves as a custodian, not an owner, of child support funds received from the other parent.

The Indiana child support guidelines for a family set the weekly, biweekly, or monthly support payment amounts paid by one parent to the other for the child’s expenses. Child support calculations consider both parents’ income, primary custody, childcare costs, health insurance responsibilities, unusualfailure child support payments school supplies or travel expenses, and the number of children.

Determining child support requires weighing how much time the child (or children) spends with parents according to the child custody arrangement. Still, parenting time can not be restricted in Indiana due to unpaid support.

The law separating support payments from visitation protects Indianapolis parents and children living in post-divorce families.

Understanding Indiana Child Support Obligations and Options

Child support often becomes a contentious issue between parents, especially when the payment feels burdensome for our clients, and they fall behind. Even when it’s challenging to pay them, support payments to the other parent are required, and getting behind or not paying at all can unleash serious consequences.

If you’re behind on support payments for your children, you have options, but acting quickly and correctly is essential.

Understanding the legal framework and your responsibilities as a parent is crucial in meeting your child support obligations. Trying to navigate child support enforcement without knowing your rights, possible consequences, and legal options can be a costly mistake.

What Are The Consequences of Not Paying Child Support?

failure child support DCSThe most common consequence of collecting back child support is obtaining a court order for withdrawal from your pay, but that isn’t the only option. 

When a parent’s child support obligations are not met, the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) has a range of legal actions at its disposal for child support enforcement.

DCS and county attorneys may initiate one or more of these options:

Establishing a structured payment plan, prioritizing the collection of back child support when financially viable.

Initiating contempt proceedings, compelling the delinquent parent to appear and justify their failure to comply with an Indiana child support order. Contempt charges carry severe consequences, potentially resulting in imprisonment.

Securing an income withholding order to automatically deduct child support from the delinquent parent’s pay, with their employer formally notified for payroll adjustments (even if you’re self-employed).

Imposing monthly interest charges of up to 1.5% on overdue accounts can substantially increase the balance and the pressure to make catch-up payments.

Intercepting state and federal tax refunds and lottery winnings to recoup past-due child support that wasn’t paid after the divorce.

Working across state lines to collect Indiana child support payments and penalties if the child or the paying parent relocates.

Further Options

Filing suspension requests for various licenses, including driver’s licenses, fishing and gaming permits, racing and gaming commission licenses, insurance and bail agent licenses, and professional and vocational licenses, when arrearages reach $2,000 or three months past due.

Obtaining a lien against the delinquent parent’s motor vehicle, prohibiting its sale or transfer until the parent can pay the balance.

Pursuing criminal charges for Nonsupport of a Child, a felony offense under Indiana state law, and potentially referring the case for federal prosecution.

failure child support1.5%Report delinquency to the credit bureaus for any past-due amounts, which can severely impact the delinquent parent’s credit rating.

Assign the account to a debt collector who may leverage aggressive debt collection measures to recover back support.

If you find yourself behind on child support, don’t wait to seek legal counsel, even if you don’t think child support enforcement actions or child support proceedings have begun.

It’s best to consult with an experienced child support lawyer before you’re overwhelmed by income withholding orders, vehicle liens, bank account freezes, driver’s license suspensions, or other financial and legal ramifications.

The advocates at Zentz Law are here to help. Contact our office in Indianapolis today at 317-220-6056 or send us an email.

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How Do Indianapolis Child Support Lawyers Help Clients Avoid Serious Consequences?

Avoiding the consequences of non-payment requires proactive legal strategies. Our attorneys will help you seek modification of an existing child support order (or orders) by demonstrating financial hardship or changes in family circumstances.

By taking proactive steps, our criminal defense attorneys can help mitigate the negative consequences of unpaid child support by helping you comply with court orders, custody agreements, guidelines, and payment plans.

Importance of Seeking Assistance From a Criminal Defense Lawyer

failure child support Toni B. testimonialSeeking legal assistance safeguards your rights and interests throughout the child support process. At your initial consultation, an experienced Indianapolis Child Support Attorney will answer questions, evaluate certain factors impacting your case, and help you understand each step of the process.

Our law firm guides parents through complex legal procedures, ensuring you have the support to navigate challenges effectively. We help parents like you minimize the potential consequences of unpaid child support and secure a brighter future for your children.

Contact Zentz Law – Criminal Defense Lawyers Indianapolis

The best child support lawyers are standing by to help you navigate child support obligations with confidence and peace of mind. 

Contact Zentz Law, Indianapolis child support lawyers today at 317-220-6056, to schedule a free consultation of your criminal defense case with our law firm.