The Georgia child support laws are set up to punish parents who do not pay their child support by garnishing the payments from paychecks, intercepting federal and state tax refunds, suspending the parent’s driver’s license, or imposing fines or jail time. The court system did not have provisions in place to listen to the reasoning behind why a non-custodial parent could not or would not pay their child support, therefore, when child support payments were in arrears, the process would skip right to the consequences. More humane laws and systems are being initiated in Georgia to help bridge any gaps for parents who must pay child support. Therefore, if you are experiencing difficulty paying your child support obligations, you might want to pay close attention to this information, and you might also want to consult with an experienced Georgia child support attorney.
2007 Child Support Law Change
The new child support law in Georgia is about a decade old now, but it pertains to all child support decisions that were made after January 1, 2007, even if the cases were initiated prior to the change of the law. Unfortunately, for those parents who already had a child support order before the new law went into effect, they cannot go back and request a modification under the new law unless there has been a change in their financial circumstances. The new law is the equivalent of the Basic Child Support Obligation table, which makes determining child support amounts fair and easy by specifically outlining how much child support a parent is obligated to pay, according to the mother and father’s combined adjusted gross income and the amount of children under the child support order.
New Approach to Georgia Child Support
Another new approach to Georgia’s child support system, called the Parent Accountability Court, started in Northwest Georgia in the beginning of 2018. This new program was established in an attempt to work with parents who have fallen behind on their child support payments. As mentioned earlier, the previous child support system was constructed to punish parents who were not making their regular child support payments, regardless of whether that parent lost a job or became ill for an extended period of time.
The court system does not provide the decision-making judge with the time or the ability to work with individuals who are experiencing financial difficulties. Instead, judges must enforce the child support orders by demanding payment or doling out consequences. The hope for this program is to keep the parents who are in arrears out of jail so that they can continue to make their payments. With this system in place, and spreading through the state of Georgia, the state hopes to be able to deliver child support payments to the guardians of the children more successfully.
Are You Behind on Your Child Support Payments?
If you have questions about these laws, have fallen behind on your child support payments, or otherwise need legal help with your child support order, contact the compassionate lawyers at Vayman & Teitelbaum, Attorneys at Law. Our attorneys will provide you with representation and legal advice to help you obtain a positive outcome for your situation. Contact us today at one of our Georgia offices to schedule a consultation so that we can get started on your case immediately.