Making child support payments can be a challenge for parents across Texas, even for the people who appreciate the fact that the money is a critical resource for their children. Most parents don’t exactly enjoy handing money over to an ex, particularly if that relationship ended poorly and remains contentious.
However, paying child support is critical for several reasons. Not only can it be essential for raising a child, but the consequences of failing to do it can be very harsh. In this post, we want to remind our readers of the serious penalties that Texas parents can face if they refuse or fail to pay child support.
Failure to pay child support can result in:
- Court hearings for contempt orders
- Wage garnishment
- Driver’s license suspension
- Public disclosure of the delinquency on state websites
- Financial penalties including liens and the freezing of assets
- Jail time
However, the most serious consequence of not paying child support can be the damage it can do to the well-being of a child and the relationship he or she has with the delinquent parent. Unpaid support can send a much stronger message than a parent realizes, and children can feel unloved, unsupported and ignored as a result of a parent who does not meet the financial obligation of paying child support.
There are, of course, situations that can arise which make it very difficult or impossible to pay child support, but the answer is not to just ignore the problem or run away from it. Parents who are concerned about their child support obligations — whether they are paying or receiving payments — can work to resolve the issue before the situation gets out of control. Discussing your case with an attorney sooner, rather than later, can minimize the penalties that all parties can face when child support goes unpaid.