In a divorce of parents, when one of the parents is granted primary custody of the kids, the other parent is generally ordered to make child support payments. One situation a Texas custodial parent, sadly, sometimes ends up facing is the noncustodial parent failing to make child support payments that were ordered.
For a custodial parent, missed child support payments by a noncustodial parent are generally no small matter, but rather are something that could have some major implications on whether they have the financial resources necessary to give their kids the care and support they need.
This can be seen in some estimates regarding single mothers and child support. One such estimate is that child support payments, on average, result in around a 25 percent drop in the poverty rate of single moms. Another such estimate is that, on average, child support payments represent around 39 percent of the household income of single moms.
Thus, a father’s failure to make court-ordered child support payments could leave a single mother very worried about the financial future of her and the kids.
Now, it is important to note that it is not just mothers that can be granted primary custody of a child and not just fathers who can be ordered to pay child support. There are single custodial dads out there, as well as noncustodial mothers with child support obligations. Whatever the gender of a custodial parent is, they and their kids can be deeply impacted when the noncustodial parent fails to make court-ordered child support payments.
There are actions that Texas custodial parents can take in response to missed child support payments by a noncustodial parent. One such action is to make a request to the state to enforce the child support order. Attorneys can assist Texas mothers and fathers who have been subjected to nonpayment of child support with requesting enforcement actions.
Source: Valley Morning Star, “Child support payments make big difference,” Bill Reagan, March 13, 2015