As a non-custodial parent who owes child support, you might have a number of responsibilities on your plate and stressors that arise on a daily basis. If you are unable to pay child support or expect that you will fall behind in the months to come, you could worry about the different consequences of back child support. For example, you may be concerned about being taken into custody, having your tax refund intercepted, or being unable to apply for a passport, among other challenges. For some people, child support modification is a great way to address these issues and it offers a number of benefits.
For starters, modifying a child support order can provide peace of mind and lower a person’s stress levels. Instead of worrying about the consequences associated with falling behind, they may be able to sleep easier at night knowing that they will be able to stay current on their child support payments even though they may have lost their job, had their hours cut, or experienced another significant change to their financial circumstances such as a medical crisis.
Modifying a child support order can prevent the various financial setbacks associated with back child support, such as tax refund interception, and keep a parent from experiencing the social ramifications that may come with falling behind. Moreover, it can be beneficial from a custodial parent’s point of view, since it reduces the likelihood of a parent stopping their payments altogether.
Our child support section will give you a closer look at relevant issues with respect to child support modification.