Kathy Rowell, Family Mediator and Child Welfare Legal Specialist
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Child Support and Contempt

10/16/2012

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I have a lot of child support clients that are facing contempt charges.    The Child Support agency in Hamilton County is very powerful.   If you get behind on your child support obligation, they can take away your driver's license, freeze your bank accounts and intercept any income tax refunds you may get.       You can also be sentenced to jail time.

If you owe child support, it is very important you pay it on time.    If your financial situation changes, or you lose your job or work hours, you need to file a petition to modify your child support obligation.   Filing the petition currently costs $75.     Realize that if you file a petition to modify, you will risk having your obligation raised instead of lowered, so make sure you have properly used to the worksheet before you file.

Another important point about child support.       A lot of fathers believe that if they buy gifts for their children on the side, such as clothing or school supplies, that this will count towards their child support obligation.     It does not and based on the conversations I have had with Maximus attorneys, I know this is frowned upon.   If you owe child support, buying gifts for your children does not get credited towards your obligation--it will in fact look bad for you if you are behind on child support and come into court on a contempt petition and say you have been buying gifts on the side.   Bottom line, if you have the money, send it in to the state on your obligation---and by all means, get receipts to make sure you get properly credited.

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