If a New Jersey court has ordered child support payments but you have not been receiving them from your child’s other parent, your situation is not hopeless. There are steps that can be taken and government resources that exist that can help you recover the payments that you are owed. According to the New Jersey Department of Human Services, the Child Support Program is able to assist in enforcement actions in a few different ways.

In certain cases, the matter may end up in court. Notice of a hearing will be provided to both parents and if an agreement cannot be reached, a judge may issue an order requiring payment or possibly even the delinquent party’s arrest. However, there are also other actions that can be taken outside of the courtroom.

If the other parent has or is awarded money in certain circumstances, that money can be seized used to pay for your child support. For example, if he or she has money in their bank account, it can be seized to make any outstanding payments. In addition, if the person wins money through the lottery or is awarded a settlement in a lawsuit, those monies can also be taken to fulfill his or her child support obligations to you.

Being behind on child support can also affect a person’s life in other ways. For instance, he or she may not be able to renew their driver’s license or passport until the outstanding amounts due are paid. Failure to pay child support also affect’s a person’s credit score negatively. Since these things may hurt the person’s ability to make purchases, travel or drive a car, it may be enough motivation for him or her to get you the payments they owe. This is provided as general information on this topic and is not intended as legal advice.