How can I enforce a court order to pay child support?

Enforcing a court order to pay child support in Pennsylvania is a process that begins with filing a Complaint for Contempt. This is a document that outlines the court order that is being violated and requests that the court enforce the order. The Complaint will be filed with the court in the county where the court order was issued. Once the Complaint is filed, the other parent will be served the Complaint and be given an opportunity to respond with a hearing date. If the other parent does not respond to the Complaint, the court can issue a Default Order. This usually requires the other parent to pay whatever amount of money is owed in back support. When the other parent attends the hearing, the court will receive evidence and testimony regarding whether or not the other parent is in violation of the court order. The court can then decide to modify the court order (lowering or increasing the monthly payment amount, extending the length of payments, etc.) or to hold the other parent in contempt of the court. The court can also order the other parent to pay any fees related to the complaint, such as court filing fees and attorney fees. If the other parent fails to comply with the court order, the court can issue a Contempt Order which requires the other parent to meet the terms of the court order or face consequences such as fines or jail time. The court can also order the other parent to pay the arrearage in one lump sum or to have the arrearage taken out of the other parent’s wages or other income.

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How can I enforce a court order to pay child support?

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