How can I collect unpaid child support?

If you are owed unpaid child support in New York, you can take legal action to collect on the debt. In order to do so, you must first decide which steps you would like to take. You can either seek child support enforcement services from the state of New York or could hire a private attorney to represent you. If you choose to pursue enforcement through the state of New York, you must first locate the child’s non-custodial parent and establish the parent’s identity and current address. You can do this through the state’s Child Support Enforcement System (CSE). Once you have established the identity and address, CSE will then send a notice of arrears to the non-custodial parent, informing them of the amount of money they owe and outlining the legal consequences if they fail to pay. If they fail to respond to the notice, you can apply for a court order that requires them to pay the owed amount. This court order is called an “order of support” or “judgment for recovery of past-due support.” Finally, you can hire a private attorney to pursue payment from the non-custodial parent. The attorney will likely file for contempt of court to pursue the payment, and if successful, the court can order the parent to pay fines in addition to the support owed. No matter what route you decide to take, it is important to remember that the welfare of the child should always come first.

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