If the parent of your child who is responsible for making child support payments is delinquent, you have several legal options. The Child Support Enforcement Act of 1984 mandates that state attorneys must help you collect your payments. Here, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services offers child support enforcement services to families. The organization will take several steps in order to assist you with securing the payments, such as the following:
- Establishing paternity
- Securing an order for child support
- Enforcing the order
- Obtaining medical insurance for the child
One of the most common ways to enforce a child support order is to contact the delinquent parent’s employer and withhold income. This method can also be applied to income tax returns and unemployment benefits or other sources of income. It is also possible to issue orders to revoke a driver’s license or even deny a passport issuance.
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services also has the authority to place a lien against property owned by the non-custodial parent. According to the Illinois Attorney General, other penalties may include pursuing state or federal criminal prosecution. The office of the attorney general reports that in 2013, the state collected $289 million in child support on behalf of more than 500,000 children.
If you are owed money for child support, you may contact the department in order to start the enforcement process. Depending on the situation, it may be wise to contact an attorney, especially when the courts become involved. While this information may be useful, it should not be taken as legal advice.
