What happens to unpaid child support arrears?

When a party is ordered to pay child support, but fails to fulfill those obligations, the unpaid child support is known as arrears. In Virginia, there are several consequences for unpaid child support arrears. The Virginia Department of Social Services can impose a lien on the property of the person who owes the child support. This means that the non-custodial parent must pay off the arrears before they can sell or transfer the property. This lien is permanent unless it’s released by the court or the custodial parent. The department may also take other actions, such as withholding wages or income, suspending a driver’s license, placing a levy on a bank account, intercepting a tax refund, or filing a civil contempt of court action. The agency may also refer the delinquent parent to collections or to the court to be charged with contempt. Furthermore, unpaid child support arrears can affect a person’s credit rating. The information is reported to the credit bureaus and remains on a person’s credit report for seven years. This can cause difficulties with getting a loan or other credit. In summary, the consequences for unpaid child support arrears in Virginia are serious. Depending on the situation, the Virginia Department of Social Services may take several legal actions, such as filing a lien, taking money out of a bank account or suspending a driver’s license. Furthermore, the arrears may stay on a person’s credit report for seven years.

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What happens to unpaid child support arrears?

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