Jacksonville Family Law Attorney FLA Legal Professionals, LLC Discusses Collecting Unpaid Support Payments and The Importance Of Legal Representation For Child Support Matters
As a Duval and Clay County family law attorney, few people better understand how financially challenging when ordered to pay child support based upon the State of Florida’s calculation tables. Unfortunately, many parents who know that they’re likely to have to pay child support try to save money by forgoing the services of a family law attorney. As many will find out, however, trying to represent oneself in child support hearings can wind up costing more in the long run.
Penalties For Missed and Late Child Support Payments
In the State of Florida, child support enforcement is handled by the FL Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement Division. As many parents who aren’t adequately represented by a lawyer find out, the DOR/CSE has a number of tools at their disposal to force the responsible parent to meet his or her child support obligations:
- Garnishment of wages
- Seizure of IRS refunds
- Confiscation and levys on bank accounts
- Collection of compensation from Worker’s Comp or Unemployment Benefits
- Placement of lien’s on the responsible parent’s personal property and vehicles
- Reporting of the late payments to credit agencies
- Denial of U.S. passport application
- Returning of the case to court
- Requesting the court to issue an arrest warrant
- Suspension of the FL Driver’s License
Even if you lose your job or suffer an injury at work, the Florida Child Support Enforcement Division is still going to require you to pay your support. Having an experienced family law attorney—one who is familiar with the agency and its requirements—can be extremely beneficial when it comes to negotiating modifications or requesting extensions.
Benefits of Having an Attorney Representative
At the Law Offices of FLA Legal Professionals, LLC we help our clients avoid the pitfalls that often affect non-represented parents. When you retain the services of attorney Maria Rogers, she represents you in your child support hearings. One of the biggest mistakes that parents make is missing an appearance and allowing a decision about child support to be made in their absence.
Additionally, if you should suffer an injury at work or lose your job, Maria Rogers can get in front of the issue by notifying the Division of Child Support Enforcement that you’ve suffered a reduction of income. She may be able to negotiate a modification through the Duval or Saint Johns family courts until the crisis has passed.
Whether you live in Duval, Clay, Baker, Flagler, or elsewhere in northeastern Florida, let family law attorney Maria Rogers represent you in your child support hearings. The Law Office of FLA Legal Professionals, LLC represents clients in all matters of family law.