When single parents in Kentucky get short-changed on court-mandated child support payments, they may wonder what they can do to aid enforcement. Child support funds can be critical to maintaining the health, well-being and education of children. Therefore, enforcing these orders is often a major priority for both federal and state governments. One of the most successful tactics for collecting unpaid child support on an ongoing basis is payroll deductions.
As with many other aspects of family law, child support is generally treated as a state matter. However, a federal agency, the Office of Child Support Enforcement, works to ensure that state agencies work together and that child support can be collected across state lines.
The OCSE’s federal programs are highly effective. In fiscal year 2016, $33 billion in child support payments were collected, and a full three-quarters of those came in through payroll withholding.
Since many people move from state to state, lots of employers hire non-local workers. One of the OCSE’s efforts has been the creation of a multi-state employer registry. This registry allows companies that employ workers in multiple states to report all of their employees at one time as well as the states in which they work. By scanning this data, the OCSE can help states to identify parents who owe unpaid child support.
Unpaid child support can make life very difficult for single parents and their children. However, a family law attorney can provide representation and guidance to a client who seeks enforcement and implementation of an existing child support order.
