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Ex Refuses to Pay Child Support? 3 Ways to Fight Back

Ex refuses to pay child custody

Child support is a very serious matter, regardless of the country or state it is filed in. For some parents, the support is needed to stay afloat when bills pile up. In other cases, you are getting a lot less than you or your child deserve. Get a full child support calculation from this firm to get a better understanding of where you stand. Don’t shy away from going after money that’s needed, especially when it concerns the welfare of your child. If your ex refuses to pay child support, the strategies below could be your next steps.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Maples Family Law, a highly respected law firm in Stockton, California that specializes in spousal and child support matters.

1. Diffuse the Situation Yourself

Before it escalates to the point where you need to involve lawyers, try to reason with your ex. Even if it leads to you doing more listening than talking, the conversation can reveal important insight into their thought process.

Sometimes it is more personal than you may realize, and letting them say their piece is all that is necessary. The important thing is to get confirmation for child support, regardless of personal feelings for each other.

Make it clear that the support is about taking care of the child, and not holding onto personal issues attached to the relationship. This line of reasoning should be more than enough to change their mind so no longer your ex refuses to pay child support.

If it isn’t, then the next step is how you really begin to fight a bad situation. It’s your legal right.

2. Get a Lawyer if Your Ex Refuses to Pay Child Support

This is hard, especially when you’re fresh out of a breakup that involved the courts decision. Some parents worry about involving a lawyer in child support since they think it will affect the current court’s standing on visitation.

While it is true that visitation can be brought up with child support, it is not to the detriment of the original order. Getting a lawyer if your ex refuses to pay child support puts you in a position of power, not weakness.

That means if the matter goes in front of a judge, the priority is getting support for a child that is being financially neglected by a parent. Everything else after that fact becomes secondary, and does not diminish the original order of visitation.

3. Don’t Instigate

The most important part of handling a parent that refuses to pay support is to not instigate. Everything you say can be used against you, so being mature about every interaction is important. Even if you still have negative feelings about the past relationship.

To be clear here, getting emotional and saying things you don’t mean will only work in the favor of the other parent. Child support is a right, and you are entitled to it.

When friendly conversation can’t get the job done, then lawyers become your mouthpiece. Let them do the heavy lifting, and stay out of heated arguments with your ex.

Conclusions about When Your Ex Refuses to Pay Child Support

If money is tight, child support can be a silver lining when paying bills. There is a good reason why laws are so strict with parents who don’t pay; the court believes that child support is essential for satisfactory living conditions.

Follow the steps above if your ex refuses to pay child support, and you’ll have one less thing to worry about.

26 thoughts on “Ex Refuses to Pay Child Support? 3 Ways to Fight Back”

  1. In Georgia the laws of child support have always been unfair. Especially for the noncustodial parent which normally is the father . I tried to fight for father’s right for years, but to no avail. I know your topic is about receiving what you deserve , but where I reside in Georgia there are more tings that should be considered. I can only speak about the state I reside. Nice write up as usual.

    1. Thanks for sharing about the issues in Georgia, Darlynn. It’s nice to hear that you were fighting for father’s rights but sad that there haven’t been the changes yet to make it fair for both parents.

  2. Having been on both sides of this equation for nearly 18 years I can say honestly there are creative, even genius ways to work through these prickly issues without the courts or lawyers. It isn’t easy though. As the step-parent who had custody for much of my sons life, I both paid sometimes and had to work out how to collect sometimes. But we figured it out.

    Non-contributing parents though, they are the worst. No one gets hurt but the children in the end.

  3. It all comes down to responsibility for self and one’s actions. It is sad that some don’t wish to take responsibility for their offspring.

  4. If the ex has $, and doesn’t pay support, that is just plain despicable and not honourable.
    If the ex has no $, best to be honest with all. Perhaps something can be worked out, creatively.

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