Whether you recently moved to another state and you owe child support or your child’s other parent is not fulfilling their obligations and you do not know where they live, it is important to understand how the government locates non-custodial parents who owe child support. Failing to pay child support can lead to various enforcement actions that can affect many facets of a non-custodial parent’s life.
Furthermore, if the court finds that a parent fled the state or county in order to avoid child support they owe, this can have serious consequences.
Child support and the State Parent Locator Service
The Congressional Research Service provides information on the State Parent Locator Service (SPLS), used to track down non-custodial parents who owe child support. According to the CRS, states use this service if the child support enforcement agency cannot find a non-custodial parent through information from a child’s custodial parent. The SPLS has a number of strategies to find non-custodial parents, such as reviewing newly-hired employees, tax documents, registered vehicles, unemployment records and telephone directories.
For example, this service can locate a parent who starts a new job by finding their name, Social Security number and address.
Child support enforcement actions
When the government finds a non-custodial parent who owes back child support, the parent could face significant penalties. The loss of a driver’s license, passport denial and even time behind bars becomes a possibility for many parents. These serious consequences highlight how crucial it is for parents to stay current on child support that they owe.
If you face any challenges regarding child support, whether your ex owes back support or you cannot fulfill your obligations, it is crucial to explore your options.
