Most parents want only to provide for their children and give them the very best they can, but sometimes life circumstances can make doing so a challenge. As a divorced parent in Virginia, life getting in the way of making your court-ordered child support payments is not just disappointing. Missing your monthly payments could have serious repercussions.
As an enforcement action or for convenience, you may have your child support payments withheld from your wages. Depending on your pay schedule, your employer will receive instructions to garnish a specified amount from your regular paychecks. Those withholdings then get forwarded to the state and applied toward your monthly obligation or satisfying your arrears.
Intercepting payments and seizing property
In addition to wage withholding orders, the Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement can take action to intercept state and federal payments due to you and to seize your property. The DCSE may garnish all or a portion of your state or federal tax refunds, as well as withhold support from your unemployment benefits. The DCSE may also confiscate certain property and sell it to satisfy your child support debt and issue orders to withhold money from your banking or other financial institution accounts.
Credit reporting
Just as other creditors may do for missed payments, the DCSE may report missed child support payments to the various credit reporting agencies. This may affect your ability to obtain loans or other lines of credit, and it could impact background checks and your shot at getting certain jobs.
Suspension or revocation of licenses and permits
Falling behind on your child support may also impede your ability to travel outside the country, whether for work or personal purposes. The DCSE may ask the secretary of state to limit, restrict, revoke or otherwise deny your passport. Additionally, should you fall behind 90 days or more, owe $5,000 or more, or neglect to respond to a subpoena, the DCSE may take action to suspend your driving, recreational and professional licenses. This may result in the suspension or refused renewal of your driver’s license, as well as of any recreational or professional licenses, certificates or registrations.