Can Wages Be Garnished for Unpaid Child Support?

Child support is a legally enforceable obligation in the State of Pennsylvania and across the nation. The bottom line is that child support represents the payor’s obligation to support their children financially, which makes it important for the well-being of the involved children. Pennsylvania takes a dim view of parents who fail to uphold this responsibility, and one of the most common and earliest responses is wage garnishment. Discuss your questions and concerns with one of our experienced Harrisburg child support attorneys at McDonald Myers Law today.

Wage Garnishment

Wage garnishment, which is sometimes called wage attachment, is a governmental tool for collecting debts that go unpaid. When a parent fails to make court-ordered child support payments in a timely manner, it amounts to a debt. At this point, the court can require the parent’s employer to withhold a specific amount from their pay, which is used to pay off that child support debt to their children’s other parent.

Most Child Support in PA is Paid through Income Withholding

Most child support cases in Pennsylvania are paid directly through income withholding. This means that the payor’s employer withholds income from their pay, which streamlines the process and helps to ensure prompt and consistent child support.

Only if both parents and the court agree will a payment arrangement other than income withholding be implemented. If you have an alternate arrangement in place and your ex is no longer making their child support payments, wage garnishment may be in order.

When the Payor Changes Jobs

When a parent with a child support obligation changes jobs, the withholding order follows them. And if they are in between jobs, they are responsible for making their child support payments directly to Pennsylvania’s Collection and Disbursement Unit.

It’s important to note here, however, that this transfer of income withholding is not automatic. The parent who pays child support is required to provide their new employer with an Income Withholding Order (IWO) within seven days of their start date.

While most child support orders are set up as income withholding through the payor’s employer, a job change can throw a wrench into things. If your children’s other parent doesn’t follow through with their responsibility to notify their employer, your child support payments could come to a halt.

If the Payor Leaves the State

Even if the payor leaves the State of Pennsylvania, the child support order remains in effect. This is a function of a federal legal principle called continuing jurisdiction. As such, child support can be collected across state lines, and wage garnishment is often the tool used when a parent refuses to pay.

Our Experienced Harrisburg Child Support Lawyers Are on Your Side

Our capable Harrisburg child support attorneys at McDonald Meyers Law welcome the opportunity to unleash the full force of our experience and legal skill in pursuit of a favorable case resolution for you. We are on your side and here to help, so please don’t put off contacting us online or giving our firm a call at 717-704-9077 today.