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What You Should Know About Enforcing Child Support in New Jersey
Needless to say, both parents are responsible for supporting their children until they reach the age of emancipation. In New Jersey, the age of emancipation is 18 years, but sometimes it can extend beyond that point. Nonetheless, your former spouse has refused to meet his or her financial obligations as formalized by New Jersey’s Family Court system. If you are in need of assistance in seeing to it that your former spouse pays what he or she is legally required to pay, then contact an experienced Ocean County child support attorney to learn what you should know about enforcing child support in New Jersey.
How do you enforce child support in the state of New Jersey?
In the state of New Jersey, the Child Support Program is supervised by the state Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development, Office of Child Support Services and is administered in individual counties. If the non-custodial parent does not pay his or her fair share, the custodial parent or the Child Support Program can file a support violation petition in Family Court. The penalties the non-paying parent may face are as follows:
- Wage garnishments
- Wage assignments
- Contempt of court decrees
- Seizure of the non-payer’s property by writ of execution
If the case warrants it, the court may issue an arrest warrant for the non-custodial parent if he or she fails to appear in court for a violation hearing or falls seriously behind in child support payments. In such extremes cases of willful nonpayment of child support, the delinquent parent may go to jail for a period of time.
How much child support is the non-custodial parent required to pay in New Jersey?
The Garden State employs a fairly straightforward metric based on the couple’s combined gross income, i.e. the amount earned before taxes and deductions. From that, a percentage will be calculated based on the number of children the couple has. The percentages are as follows:
- 17% for 1 child
- 25% for 2 children
- 29% for 3 children
- 31% for 4 children
- 35% for five or more children
Do you need an Ocean County family law attorney to help you enforce child support in New Jersey?
Even though the state’s Office of Child Support Services can help enforce child support, you should reach out to a skilled Ocean County family law attorney who will file the correct paperwork and attend hearings on your behalf. These matters may seem simple, but mistakes can cost your children dearly. A qualified professional can fully apprise you of your rights and responsibilities. These cases can languish. Our firm will fight to prevent yours from being one of them.
Contact our experienced Ocean County firm
Matters of divorce and family law require the attention and skill of an experienced attorney who will fight for your future. Not only is your financial well-being at stake, but in a divorce, both you and your children’s emotional well-being are at risk as well. If you need a divorce and family law attorney in Ocean County, New Jersey, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Sarina Gianna, LLC today to schedule a consultation.
