The Law Blog of Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C.

Many people have experienced difficulty paying the child support they owe. Often, people find themselves in this position following the loss of a job or a decrease in their work schedule. However, this is not the only reason parents fall behind on child support. Sometimes, a medical emergency can make it incredibly difficult to stay current on these payments, especially if the health crisis was not anticipated at all. However, it is crucial for a parent who is facing these challenges to know what their options are and stay caught up on their child support obligations.

Medical emergencies take a variety of forms and can interrupt a person’s life in all sorts of ways. Not only can hospital bills be extremely expensive, but there are other problems someone may face in this position. For example, they may not be able to continue working temporarily or permanently, which can make it even more difficult to pay child support. Moreover, someone may experience financial challenges because they have helped one of their loved ones out while they were facing a health-related crisis.

In a post that was recently published on our blog, we discussed how those with unpaid child support may not be able to receive a passport in the U.S. However, there are many other angles to consider with respect to child support payments and various consequences that parents may face when they fail to meet these obligations. From a financial standpoint, child support can be overwhelming. Not only do parents struggle to stay current after losing a job or suffering a health crisis, but the financial impact of failing to make payments on time can be devastating and make life even harder.

A parent who does not pay child support may have their wages garnished and struggle with high levels of anxiety. Moreover, they may be taken into custody, which could affect their employment. Furthermore, a person who owes back child support may have his or her tax refund intercepted, which can lead to additional financial complications. Many parents who are experiencing financial hardship plan on using their tax refund to get caught up on various debts and obligations and the interception of a tax refund can make daily life significantly harder.

Falling behind on the child support you owe may complicate your life in all sorts of ways. Many people realize the seriousness of the threat of being taken into custody, sustaining damage to one's reputation and financial penalties such as the interception of a tax refund. However, back child support may create a number of other challenges in your life. For example, you may not be able to obtain a passport in the U.S. if you owe a certain amount of unpaid child support.

Losing your eligibility to secure a passport could create a variety of problems in your life. Whether you intend to travel for sightseeing purposes or had plans to head overseas on a business trip, unpaid child support could completely derail these plans. If you have been planning a vacation for a number of years or were hoping to travel on an important work-related trip, this can be devastating.

A study involving 29 countries around the world did not paint a positive picture for U.S. drivers. While the large majority of countries involved in the study saw a decrease in motor vehicle deaths from 2010 to 2016, the U.S. experienced a sharp rise. Of the five countries whose death toll rose over that time, the U.S. had the largest rate increase at more than 13 percent.

The International Transport Forum research also looked at pedestrian deaths and cyclist deaths, as well as traffic fatalities. The U.S. performed poorly in each area. Pedestrian deaths rose nearly 40 percent and cyclist deaths nearly 35 percent. Taken together, the numbers show that the U.S. is falling further behind other nations when it comes to prioritizing transportation safety.