When you count on your ex to help you support your shared child in Florida and then he or she fails to pay child support when it is due, it can leave you at best, feeling frustrated, and in some cases, facing a desperate situation. There are, however, certain measures the state’s Child Support Program may be able to take to help force your child’s other parent into compliance.
According to the Florida Department of Revenue, if your ex fails to comply with the terms of your child support agreement and still fails to pay support after receiving notice the payment is late, he or she may need to meet with someone from the program to sign a written agreement. The terms of the agreement will vary to some degree, but your ex must abide by its payment terms or risk a range of other penalties.
He or she may, for example, have his or her driver’s license suspended for not paying child support, and his or her professional or business license may, too, be at risk. Recreational licenses, such as boating, hunting or fishing licenses, can also undergo suspension for nonpayment of child support.
Depending on exactly how much child support your ex owes you, he or she may also be unable to obtain a passport as a result of not keeping up with child support payments. If your ex owes more than $2,500 in support, he or she cannot secure a U.S. passport until paying off the balance in full.
This information about what can happen when your ex fails to pay child support is meant for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.