What if the non-custodial parent gets behind in child support payments or refuses to pay?
If a non-custodial parent does not pay child support, he or she is subject to enforcement measures to collect regular and past-due payments. The Child Support Division uses many techniques to enforce child support orders, including: • requiring employers to deduct court-ordered child support from the non-custodial parent’s paycheck through wage withholding; • intercepting federal income tax refund checks, lottery winnings, or other money that may be due from state or federal sources; • filing liens against his or her property or other assets; • suspending drivers, professional, and hunting and fishing licenses; and • filing a lawsuit against the non-custodial parent asking the court to enforce its order. A judge may sentence a nonpaying parent to jail and enter a judgment for past due child support.