Child support payments establish a means for a noncustodial parent to cover costs associated with their young one’s upbringing. When parents fall behind on child support payments, everyone may suffer. The child and the custodial parent could face financial hardships, and the noncustodial parent could run into troubles with the Illinois legal system. The noncustodial parent might work two jobs to cover personal expenses along with child support payments. Some may worry about money being taken from a second job, a concern that might be warranted under specific circumstances.
Federal law and child support withholdings
Federal law requires employers to take money out of a paycheck and direct the payments to the child support collection department in the state. The noncustodial parent may prefer to handle his or her finances without the government’s involvement, but the rule does make collecting child support more uniform.
When the noncustodial parent works two jobs, perhaps a full-time and a part-time job, the state may take money from the full-time job, leaving the second job’s salary alone if child support payments are current. If the one job covers the child support, there’s no reason to take anything from the second.
Falling behind on child support
A parent could end up owing child support for many unavoidable reasons. An illness may leave the parent unable to work, as might layoffs or firings. If the parent falls behind on child support, collection action could target any source of income. That means someone working two jobs might deal with garnishments on both paychecks.
The further behind child support payments that a noncustodial parent falls, the harsher the collection action may become. A parent could even face arrest for nonpayment of child support.
Anyone who runs into financial troubles may request a child support modification order. Doing so might prevent numerous problems that result from outright nonpayment.
