Child support collection efforts succeed in Illinois

Child support collection efforts succeed in Illinois

Under federal law, all states must provide child support services. Collecting child support through wage garnishing is one way of collecting child support from noncustodial parents in Illinois. The process involves the automatic deduction of child support from the noncustodial parent’s paycheck. In fact, a recent report from the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement states that 70 percent of child support is collected through wage garnishing.

However, some parents still manage to avoid paying child support. That is why the OCSE has started a new program called the Passport Denial Program, which is meant to force more noncustodial parents to hold up their end of the bargain.

In the Passport Denial Program, the Department of State will collaborate with employers by not issuing passports to those applicants who owe more than $2,500 in child support. Reports from the OCSE also indicate that employers in several states, including Illinois, are even putting up the child support money in order for an employee to travel overseas on a business trip.

Parents in the Chicago area should know that once a child support order has been issued by the court, failure to pay is taken very seriously. But if a paying parent can show that his or her financial situation has changed since the child support order was issued, the court can consider a child support modification.

In other cases of non-payment, the parent may be fined or even incarcerated. Other penalties include intercepting tax refunds, restrictions on business licenses and revoking driver’s licenses. Parents who are entitled to receive child support should clearly understand the laws and programs, as well as take proper legal action.

Source: Business Management Daily, “Employers’ child support collection efforts pay off,” Oct. 05, 2012