How Do Wage Assignments Help Custodial Parents Collect Child Support From Absent Parents?

As many single parents know, it is not always easy to collect child support from an absent parent. All too often, absent parents have the tendency to try to avoid taking financial responsibility for their children. However, once a judge has signed orders for a certain amount to be paid each month, the absent parent will be held responsible for doing so. One way this is done is by having a wage assignment put into order against the absent parent. This means that child support payments will be taken from that parent's paycheck before the paycheck is released. These are some reasons why you should consider having a wage assignment in order to collect child support payments.

It Is Legal and Binding 

A wage assignment is a legal document that can be used in court as evidence should it not be followed specifically. By law, the employer is required to follow the wage assignment as it reads to ensure the correct amount is taken from the absent parent's paycheck and sent to the child support enforcement agency that disburses it to the custodial parent.

It Is More Reliable 

Since the employer is taking the child support payments from the absent parent's paycheck, you are more likely to receive your payments in a timely manner. If you rely on the absent parent to pay child support directly to you, it may or may not come on a regular basis.

However, a wage assignment collects these payments according to the pay schedule of the absent parent. Therefore, if he receives his paycheck on a weekly basis, you will receive a child support payment on a weekly basis.

Arrearages Can Also Be Collected 

If the absent parent owes back child support, this can also be collected by a wage assignment. The back child support amount will be divided into a certain number of payments and these payments will be taken from the absent parents paycheck at the same time that current child support payments are.

It Helps Keep Track of An Absent Parent's Whereabouts 

A wage assignment also creates a "paper trail" for an absent parent. If the child support payments suddenly stop, the child support agency usually contacts the employer to find out if the absent parent has left the job or moved to a different location.

It is not uncommon for the employer to have the new address or new employer's location for the absent parent. The absent parent may have given this information to the former employer so that his last paycheck could be mailed to him. Once the child support agency has this information, a new wage assignment can be sent to the new employer.

A wage assignment is actually beneficial to both the custodial parent and the absent parent. This ensures that child support is received for the child while also helping the absent parent get his child support payments back on track and avoid going to court.


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