Can You Go After Your Ex For Child Support On A Felony Level?
Each state has its own laws regarding child support obligations, but one thing remains true across the board: if a person is court-ordered to pay child support and fails to do so, they are in contempt of a judge's order. Whether or not they're held accountable for that failure is dependent upon a few factors, including whether the receiving individual of said child support files a case against the obligated person.
You're in a position around 43% of parents who receive child support are in: you're not getting the any money, or you aren't getting the amount owed to you in full. As the child support money in arrears adds up and you go months or years without receiving pay, you likely want to do something. A felony lawyer can assist you in finding out what you are able to do about your situation. Can you go after your ex for child support on a felony level? Discover what you can do here.
You can hold them in contempt
Talk to a felony lawyer who works in family law if you can hold your ex in contempt of court for failure to comply with the child support order. While you may not be able to have them federally charged with lack of payment since child support issues are often considered civil matters, you can help create a wake-up call to the person who is supposed to pay child support and get a judge to demand arrears to be paid in full or other legal repercussions can be made.
You can have them federally charged in certain circumstances
At some point, failure to pay child support becomes a federal matter and can actually land the offending person in jail or prison due to neglect to pay. However, these cases are taken on a case-by-case basis and few hit the criteria. If your ex has not paid in more than two years and owes at least $10,000, you may have a case to have them prosecuted on a misdemeanor or felony level.
Your felony lawyer will explain to you what a judge may be likely to do in your scenario. Often, judges don't like to send offenders to prison because doing so can make it harder for them to pay. However, being charged on a felony level can make your ex motivated to catch up what they owe you and your children; share your experience with a felony lawyer to learn what your rights are.
Share