Whether you owe child support or receive payments, understanding your rights and options is pivotal. This facet of family law can become particularly emotional and child support issues can lead to serious consequences, such as jail time and license suspension.
Reviewing data on child support payments is helpful for custodial and non-custodial parents struggling due to nonpayment, and it draws attention to the prevalence of child support delinquency.
Data on parents receiving child support
The U.S. Census Bureau states that in 2017, 27.5% of parents who had a child under the age of 21 with a parent living outside of the home received child support payments. Among these parents, 68.7% received payments on a regular basis and the others received unequal or irregular payments. Furthermore, 56.8% of parents receiving support had a child support agreement in place.
Reviewing other child support figures
The median amount of child support received over the course of the year was over $4,400 for parents who received support on a regular basis and $3,328 for those who received any amount of child support. Those with more education or a previous marriage had a higher likelihood of receiving child support regularly.
If you struggle to pay support due to financial hardships, or you want to enforce a court order because your ex refuses to pay what they owe, you have to examine your situation carefully and identify the best course of action as soon as possible. For example, you might have the ability to modify your child support order due to major financial changes, which could help you stay current on payments.