For Illinois parents who are obligated to pay child support to the custodial parent, it is important that the payments are made when they are supposed to and are paid in full. If there is an issue with the child support and the custodial parent seeks to receive it through other means, it is possible that the supporting parent will be informed by the state that he or she will have a tax refund or other money taken to pay for past-due child support. Knowing how to handle this situation is important.
In some instances, the supporting parent will agree that there is a delinquency. If so, then there will be a date at which the payment must be received by the other parent. To stop the tax refund or other moneys from being taken to pay the child support, it is critical to pay what is owed. There is a form that will come with the notification and it must be filled out to stop the federal tax refund from being withheld for child support.
It is more common for parents who disagree with the finding that he or she is in arrears in child support. To dispute the case, the parent must request a redetermination. This must be done within 15 days of the date that is on the notice. When there is a dispute, there cannot be any action taken until the case is settled. This must be sent back to the department with documentation to prove that the child support is current.
The failure to pay child support is one of the most frequent family law issues to arise when a couple has parted ways and they share a child. Since the child’s best interests and care are at stake, the state will want to ensure that the child support payments are made. However, when there is an attempt to offset a federal tax refund or intercept other money that is due the supporting parent, it is possible that there will be a disagreement as to whether the payments have been made. A law firm that has experience in helping both custodial and noncustodial parents with child support enforcement and other child support problems can be vital to a case.