Being a single parent brings with it unique challenges. Some are rewarding. Others are frustrating, to say the least. Amongst the less enjoyable tasks of single parents, the collection of errant child support is easily one of the most stressful. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live, child support laws have expanded to cover same-sex relationship or parents who never wed, as well as family members acting as custodians. These laws are supposed to ensure Non-Custodial Parents (NCPs) pay the full sum of the payments decided by the courts.
Once you factor in all of the sticking points that are involved with negotiating payments, it’s easy to see why child support can be an unpleasant and emotional problem for many single parents. To make things worse, many NCPs fall behind on making these payments or they stop sending money all together.
Studies have shown some of these individuals will withdraw their support deliberately, while many fall behind for other reasons that range from financial problems to delivery issues. In these hard economic times, most single parents acting as custodians to their child are aware of these circumstances. While you can sympathize with insecure employment, you can’t let ignorance or malice allow them to avoid their obligations.
It’s your right to receive child support in both the amount and intervals that were determined by the courts. Under the law, the public sector must help you track down these payments if your NCP fails to live up to their side of the bargain, but like many government departments, especially those suffering from recent White House funding cuts, they simply don’t have the resources they need to help every case. These agencies can’t always devote the time necessary to find elusive NCPs.
Fortunately, when you intend to collect child support there’s another option. There are private child support enforcement agencies that devote the necessary time and effort to find stubborn NCPs and connect desperate parents with the money they need. Such an agency must be licensed and bonded in order to give you a real advantage, and they should employ legal, investigative, and negotiating professionals to ensure your NCP delivers on current payments. They can even help you receive backdated support from years ago.
While single parents should know and act on their legal rights concerning support issues, they should also consider a private child support enforcement agency to do so. Their services guarantee that families don’t have to struggle without the support that they deserve.
