If you have difficulty paying child support on time because you lost your job or face financial hardships for a different reason, it is crucial to understand the potential penalties that could come up. On top of losing your tax refund, passport and even your freedom,...
child support
Can your ex determine how you spend child support in Washington?
Child support plays a vital role in co-parenting arrangements in Washington. However, questions may arise regarding how the receiving parent can utilize child support payments and whether the ex-spouse has the authority to dictate the spending. This article explores...
What is contempt of court?
When a judge issues an order for you to pay child support, it becomes a formal legal matter. An order from a judge is binding. You must follow that order or face consequences. If you stop paying your child support or otherwise violate the support order, the court...
Can grandparents get child support?
For many reasons, a grandparent may have to step in and take over raising grandchildren. When this happens, it is not entirely on the grandparents to handle all aspects of care for the children. Washington law allows grandparents to seek child support from both...
How can I address wage garnishment at work?
The state of Washington provides a number of ways to enforce child support payments, such as wage garnishment. If you fail to make your support payments, your co-parent could ask a judge to order your employer to garnish some of your paycheck. Being under a wage...
Which co-parent must pay for private school?
Even though the Seattle area has some of the country's best public schools, there are dozens of excellent private academies in and around the city. These private schools are not exactly cheap, however. In fact, according to Private School Review, the average cost of...
How can courts enforce child support?
Child support negotiations can be one of the most contentious aspects of getting a divorce. Many factors go into how much a parent will pay for child support, including the income that each parent receives and the number of minor children there are living in the home....
Passport denial and revocation due to back child support
If you owe back child support or worry that your financial circumstances will cause you to fall behind in the near future, it is critical to go over the various penalties that you could face due to missing payments. Some non-custodial parents who owe support do not...
How self-employment affects child support
Child support is complicated, but self-employment makes the calculations even more difficult. If you work for yourself, income is not always consistent or guaranteed. On the other hand, if your ex-spouse is self-employed, they might try to hide income from you....
Can an employer be liable for a parent not paying child support?
In general, when the court orders a person to do something, only that person is responsible for doing it. In the case of child support, though, the rules differ somewhat. According to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, employers may have...