Next to child custody in terms of contentious and important family law matters is the issue of child support. The state of North Carolina believes that both parents have an equal duty to contribute to the welfare of their child; as such, the noncustodial parent is typically ordered to pay child support to the custodial parent. A skilled child support attorney from The Law Offices of J. Scott Smith, PLLC can guide you to understand the legal process and ensure that you get a fair support amount in the best interest of your child.
There are a number of factors listed in the family law legal code that will affect the amount of child support that you are obligated to pay. These include:. A child support order is a legally binding document; paying child support is not optional, but mandatory. Further, the failure to pay child support can have legal consequences.
If your ex-spouse is supposed to pay a child support agreement but is not, you have the right to seek enforcement. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services β Child Support Enforcement offices, are responsible for helping an individual to enforce a child support obligation when someone is delinquent on their payments.
Other enforcement options include filing a court action against a parent who has an obligation to pay child support, reporting the delinquent payer to credit collections agencies, and even putting forth a claim on personal property. The failure to pay child support is not just a violation of state law, but a federal one as well.
Under federal law, a person who fails to pay a child support agreement may face a fine, imprisonment or both.
