What happens to unpaid child support arrears?

If child support payments are not made, the parent that is owed money can take legal action to try and get the money. In the state of Florida, the Department of Revenue’s Child Support Program enforces a system of unpaid child support called arrears. Arrears is money that has gone unpaid for a set period of time, and it accumulates interest. When a parent owes unpaid child support arrears, that parent’s wages can be withheld, or taken out of their paycheck each month to pay the arrears. This is ordered by a court and enforced by the state. This form of debt collection, known as wage garnishment, can be used to collect up to fifty percent of the parent’s disposable income. Any amount of unpaid arrears that is over fifty percent of their disposable income must still be paid in full. If a parent does not have a job or other sources of income, then the Department of Revenue’s Child Support Program can temporarily suspend their driver’s license or professional license, place a lien on their property, or file a civil contempt action. A civil contempt action can lead to fines or even jail time for the parent. To avoid these stiff penalties, it is important for the parent to stay up to date on their child support payments.

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What happens to unpaid child support arrears?

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