Recently the Texas State Attorney General’s Office added additional punitive measures to what can be expected of parents who are 6 months or more behind on their child support payments. Beginning in December of 2016, parents who are 6 months behind now have registration revocation or non-renewal to look forward to. Currently, the state has the option to suspend Drivers or other licenses for parents who have gotten behind on payments. While some see this as a win, judges and other who work in the courts have suggested they don’t feel it will have an impact.
There are certainly two ways of looking at this, dependent upon the reasons behind the late payments. If the father is without funds to pay, versus refusing, by making it harder to work and increasing fines the children are even less-likely to see a change in their situation. The only time measures like these have a profoundly positive effect is when the person who is behind has the funds to pay and are choosing not to. This is why it is important to consult your attorney before seeking court assistance.
The best interest of the child is to have support of some kind. Perhaps the person is behind on the payment because they had a loss or change in income, perhaps they are disregarding their responsibilities. Finding the right solution means understanding the motivation and situation of the non-paying parent. In Texas, child support is a serious issue and Texas divorce lawyers are being given multiple avenues to coerce proper payment, but they should be used only to the benefit of minor children.
For more information: http://http//www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/FA/htm/FA.232.htm
