Child support payments in Okmulgee are impacted if you lose your job. Every day, someone loses their job. In fact, since 2020, more than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment. Millions are still struggling to rebuild their lives and meet their financial obligations. Included in these millions of struggling people are parents who owe child support. When you are behind in payments, the loss of your job has made your life that much more difficult. If you were making timely payments and have now lost your job, you probably want to know whether you still have to pay. If either situation is true for you, continue reading to help answer the question if learn more about Oklahoma’s family and child support laws.

Child Support Payments in Okmulgee

If you’re a parent in Oklahoma, child support is but one of many duties you have to your child. Because of this a judge will typically mandate court-ordered child support payments. Child support begins when the child’s two parents divorce or live apart. It is also ordered when unwed parents separate and share some form of custody. A judge orders the parents tp pay child support based on the Oklahoma child support calculator. This looks at each parents income and the number of over nights each parent has.

Before a judge arranges your monthly payment amount, the court assesses your income, debts, and the child’s needs. This amount may be modified if significant changes or hardships arise. For example, your monthly payment amount may be reduced if your income status changes.

What If I Don’t Pay Child Support

Child support rarely if ever is allowed not to be paid. There are certain circumstances but over all the support obligation never goes away. The Okmulgee family Court has many tools they use to collect past due amounts. In fact in addition to charge you interest on the debt the debt even survives you. This means that even if you die the state can file a claim against your Estate for any past due amounts. Therefore, you’re always responsible for monthly payments, even if you lose your job. If you fail to make payments, the courts may:

· Garnish your wages

Take money from your social security benefits

· Take money from your retirement benefits

Take money from your workers’ compensation benefits and any other source of income.

If you can’t make payments because you’ve lost your job, you might consider seeking a payment modification. Otherwise, you’ll continue to accrue debt and have funds taken from other areas of your life. After all, the government can use your unemployment benefits to pay off your child support debt.

Seeking Modification of Child Support

Unless you have excessive income from elsewhere, a judge will likely modify your child support payment amounts if you lose your job. This is because courts consider job loss to be a significant change in circumstances. An Oklahoma judge refers to the Child Support Guidelines when adjusting your payment amount. This will change your payment amount by at least 20%. This is bound to help you meet your obligations more efficiently.

Cant Modify Child Support Backwards

Its important you realize that child support can only be modified going forward. This means that only future amounts owed are modified. So in the event you wait until your support is past due you will not be able to reduce the past due amount with a modification. This truly puts you in a situation where as soon as you lose your job its absolutely critical that you file your motion to modify.

Child Support Family Attorneys

If you’ve come under financial hardship, making timely child support payments is challenging. Fortunately, Oklahoma laws permit you to request a modification if you’ve lost your job. Having an experienced Oklahoma child support attorney on your side increases the likelihood of a judge approving your modification request. Don’t let job loss put you in a bad place on the amount of child support you owe. There are options available to you and we can help. Get a free consultation with one of our family lawyers 918.621-8083