Deadbeat Parents:
When a parent is ordered by the
court to pay child support and continuously fails to do so, he or she is
commonly referred to as a "deadbeat
parent." This pejorative term is used the actual legislation of some
states, and is often misunderstood. Parents who fall behind on child
support due to job loss or unforeseen circumstances aren't necessarily
"deadbeats." Deadbeat is generally reserved for those who have the
means to pay, but do not. Parents who are unable to pay may be eligible
for child support modification.
Stereotypes About Deadbeat Parents:
"Deadbeat
parents" and "deadbeat dads" are not synonymous. Not all deadbeat
parents are fathers, and not all non-custodial fathers are neglectfully
behind on child support. In fact, there plenty of moms who have been
ordered to pay child support, yet fail to do so, as you can see from
jurisdictions that post lists of their most wanted deadbeat parents online.
Consequences for the Parent Who Does Not Pay:
There are several things the state can do when a parent falls behind in child support payments. These steps include:
- Garnishing his or her pay
- Refusing to allow the parent to obtain a legal passport
- Intercepting unemployment compensation
- Offsetting federal and/or state income tax refunds
- Enforcing jail time
Taking Action When the Checks Stop Coming:
If you are owed back child support payments, you should contact your local Child Support Enforcement Office
to report the lack of payments. Be prepared to provide detailed
explanations of the missed payments, as well as any information you may
have about the parent's last known location.
Inability to Pay:
It's also important to be aware that many times the parent who is in arrears simply does not have the money to pay the child support payments.
In some cases, payments may need to be adjusted to reflect the
individual's most current earnings. In other cases, the parent owes so
much child support that the money will simply never be paid in full.
The Relationship Between Child Support and Child-Parent Visitations:
Child
support is completely separate from visitations. In the eyes of the
law, the parent who owes back child support payments still has the right
to visit with the child. Therefore, any parent who is in distress over
missing child support payments should take the steps outlined above
instead of withholding visitations. Refusing to allow your child to
visit with your co-parent because he or she has unpaid child support
could jeopardize your good standing with the courts.
Geography
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Because the list was created with the intent to prevent parents from evading prosecution, the Punishment Act states that the negligent parent and their child must live in separate states for the crime to get attention from federal agencies. If the parent does business in more than one state or country, an investigation will begin to see if they are using multiple employment locations to avoid reporting some of their income. Once a parent reaches the misdemeanor amounts owed and they are suspected of doing this, they are automatically placed on the list.
Disputes
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Disputes and cases about child support at the misdemeanor, state level are handled through the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) in the state of residence when the parent and child live in the same state. Once the Punishment Act is in effect and a person is charged with a felony and added to the Deadbeat List, they are beyond the CSEA`s jurisdiction.