Enforcing Child Support in Utah

Salt Lake City lawyer helps stop missed payments

After a divorce, both parents continue to have the obligation to support their children. However, the parent that does not have primary custody normally makes payments to the one that does. When those payments are not forthcoming, the custodial parent has various enforcement tools available. If you are a custodial parent in Utah and you need help collecting the child support you are due, Attorney Victoria Cramer in Salt Lake City is ready to help.

What to do when a spouse does not pay child support

In Utah, unpaid child support becomes a legal judgment, and the Office of Recovery Services (an agency of the state Department of Health and Human Services) is empowered to enforce it. For recipient parents, ORS has many effective collection tools at its disposal. The ORS also has the authority to work out payment plans when circumstances limit the obligor’s ability to pay. Either parent can contact ORS for assistance.

Role of Utah’s Office of Recovery Services

When an obligor has the means to pay but simply refuses, the ORS can take a variety of steps to enforce the child support order, including:

  • Intercepting the obligor’s federal or state tax refunds
  • Intercept other government payments, such as unemployment benefits or workers’ compensation
  • Report failure to pay to credit bureaus and District Courts
  • Place liens on real property
  • Deny, restrict, limit, or revoke a passport
  • Suspend recreational licenses, such as hunting or fishing
  • Seize money in a bank account
  • Suspend driver’s licenses
  • Suspend professional licenses

The ORS can often locate a parent who has seemingly disappeared. The agency can also address an obligor’s temporary inability to pay by offering a payment plan that fits current conditions.

When is a warrant issued in Utah for unpaid child support?

If your case meets certain legal conditions, a child support attorney can initiate civil contempt proceedings. If the court holds the delinquent payer in contempt, he or she can face a variety of sanctions, including community service or even short-term incarceration.

In Utah, a parent can also be prosecuted for criminal nonsupport. If the conditions for prosecution have been met and ORS determines that no other enforcement tool will work, it may refer the case to the Utah Attorney General’s Office for criminal prosecution.

Collecting past due child support payments

ORS often processes back payments after initiating a collection action. In many cases, the result is a regular automatic withdrawal from a designated account to ensure consistent payment in the future.

Staunch representation for parents in either side of a support controversy

Few parents obligated to pay child support will deliberately shortchange their children. However, those who feel a custodial parent is infringing on their visitation rights might make the unfortunate decision to withhold support. This will almost certainly backfire. A better tack is to contact a Utah family lawyer who can help you enforce your rights through proper channels. Similarly, a recipient parent has not received payment should contact a Salt Lake City child support attorney who can investigate the reason for the nonpayment.

Contact an experienced Salt Lake City attorney for child support disputes

Attorney Victoria Cramer in Salt Lake City advocates strongly for parents on either side of a child support dispute. To schedule a consultation, call 801-299-9999 or contact her office online. Same-day appointments may be available for urgent matters.