Using benefit garnishments to get child support

Many Wisconsin parents struggle with getting the child support they are owed from an ex-spouse or former partner. These parents understand that being granted child support is only the first hurdle they must jump through. What follows is often the much more difficult process of getting the money that is ordered. The good news is that parents have a variety of free or inexpensive methods available to them to claim current or past due child support payments.

The best time to collect on child support is always when the children in question are still minors. Attempting to collect back-owed child support after the child becomes an adult is much more difficult, and state agencies may not help a parent in such a situation.

A common way to collect unpaid support is to garnish Social Security benefits and tax returns. Since these payments are managed by government offices, they can easily withhold the payment of these funds and transfer the money to the parent who is owed support. Social Security benefits can usually be garnished up to 65 percent, so long as the payment is not considered SSI. A parent may also go after the other parent’s bank accounts. When collecting payments, the other parent’s current financial status is still considered. Garnishments are not mean to leave one parent completely bereft of income.

While it is possible to use free or inexpensive government services to collect child support, many parents may benefit from the use of a private attorney. An attorney may be able to help a parent understand all of their options for collecting support. They may help ensure that the case is kept a priority.