In the aftermath of divorce, few things are more frustrating than your co-parent defaulting on their child support payment obligations. As the court has acknowledged, you need financial support from your co-parent to help ensure the children’s well-being. So, when your co-parent misses monthly child support payments, you may struggle to take care of the kids’ needs.
You may wonder how you can help ensure that your co-parent makes consistent child support payments. Thankfully, there are legal mechanisms you can leverage in Michigan to help ensure your co-parent obeys your legally binding child support order.
Michigan’s child support system
The Great Lake State has provisions to help ensure that both parents financially support their children post-divorce. So, even though you and your co-parent now live separately, they have a legal obligation to fulfill their parental responsibilities.
Your co-parent should pay a specific amount in child support each month as stipulated by the divorce decree. This amount can vary depending on:
- The number of children you have together
- How much time each of you spend with the kids
- Both parents’ incomes
Therefore, from the time the court issues your child support order, your co-parent is obliged to send you the stipulated amount for the kids’ upkeep.
Steps to help ensure consistent payments
Suppose your co-parent continually defaults on the monthly payment despite having a formal child support order in place; a trusted legal practitioner can help you file a court order to incentivize your co-parent to make all the payments they missed.
You can also opt for an automatic withdrawal to help ensure you receive the monthly payments you need without having to remind your co-parent about them. The stipulated child support amount will be deducted from their paycheck each month to help ensure compliance.
Suppose you and your co-parent have an amicable relationship, and they’ve only missed a few payments; you might want to give communication a chance. By maintaining open lines of communication, you can prevent misunderstandings or disputes that might lead to missed payments.
Missed child support payments can make meeting kids’ needs after divorce a great challenge. Suppose your ex-spouse is defaulting on monthly payments; you can seek appropriate legal guidance to arrive at a sustainable solution.