Unemployed? Answers To Your Child Support Questions

When it comes to paying child support, it is the family courts that will decide the amount that you pay as a parent. One question that many parents often have is what happens if they lose their job and cannot pay the child support that they are financially obligated by the court to pay. Keep reading to learn the answer to this question as well as other answers to questions regarding child support payments associated with unemployment.

Are child support payments still required even when a parent is unemployed?

As a general rule, yes, child support payments are still a requirement even if you do not have a job. Regardless of your current employment status, you must still honor all commitments regarding child support. If you have yet to do so, you should file for unemployment benefits so that there is money coming in and you will have money to put toward your child support payments.

Will child support payments be taken out of your unemployment benefits, if approved?

If you have been approved for unemployment benefits and are receiving them, then those benefits are considered income. As a result, you should be paying your child support payments from it. If you fail to do so, then it is possible for the child support to be garnished from the unemployment benefits that you are receiving.

What if you just recently lost your job and simply can't afford child support at the moment?

First off, you need to begin looking for a new job immediately. It doesn't matter what the job pays or if you are overqualified for it—as long as you have money coming in and are trying to honor your court-ordered child support obligations. Ultimately, your child support obligations will not be canceled unless you have severely been injured or come down with a catastrophic illness that has left you unable to work or permanently disabled.

What happens if you don't make your child support payments?

If you are receiving unemployment benefits and fail to make your child support payments, then the payments can be garnished from your benefits. Of course, this is just one of the many options that the courts have at their disposal. For instance, you may lose your driver's license, be fined, go to jail, or be found in contempt of court.

If you are having difficulty paying child support because you have lost your job, contact a family law attorney. If you are not receiving child support payments because the other parent is saying that he or she is out of a job, he or she is still legally responsible to make those payments. Contact family law attorneys like those at the Law Office of Faye Riva Cohen, P.C. to learn more.


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