Earlier this week, it was announced that New Jersey law enforcement agencies recently engaged in a major child support enforcement sweep. The effort took place Dec. 9 to 11 in every single county and a total of 869 parents were arrested.

Many people may not realize that failing to pay child support can result in an arrest. When a parent fails to abide by a court order to pay child support, the state may take a number of actions to attempt to enforce the order. These efforts include wage garnishment, intercepting tax refunds, seizing assets, issuing warrants and arrests.

In many cases, a parent stops paying child support because it becomes unaffordable. When this is the case, parents should seek modifications to their child support orders rather than falling into arrears. Even if the parent on the receiving end of child support has agreed to a child support reduction, it is important to obtain a legal modification in order to avoid being subjected to enforcement efforts.

It is possible to obtain a child support modification if the income of the payer or the payee has changed significantly since the order was issued. Orders may also be modified if the child’s financial needs have changed. Under New Jersey law, both parents are required to contribute financially to the costs of raising their children. The amount of child support a parent must pay is determined by the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines, which take into account the parents’ incomes, the custody and visitation schedule, and the costs of children’s medical insurance, daycare, schooling, among other things, and college expenses when the children are of age.

It is very important for parents to arrive at child support orders that are fair and reasonable to protect the best interests of their children. They may use direct negotiations, mediation, collaborative law, arbitration, or judicial intervention to attain resolution.  Parents who need help obtaining, enforcing, or modifying child support orders will benefit from the guidance of an experienced family law attorney.

Source: The Daily Journal, “32 arrested in Cumberland child support sweep,” Dec. 23, 2013