What happens if a parent does not make court-ordered child support payments?
Not obeying a court order is serious. If a parent fails to pay the financial support, or fails to pay it on time, the child will not have the benefit of that support. In many cases, that will result in the child not having their basic needs met. A judge can find the parent in contempt for failing to obey the order. The punishment for contempt can be up to 30 days of jail for each violation. When a parent fails to provide for a child who lives with them, there are criminal charges that can be brought against that parent. The same is true for the parent who does not live with the child but fails to provide for them.
