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Child Support And License Suspension: Part I
Child Support And License Suspension: Part I

Child Support And License Suspension: Part I

On Behalf of | Sep 16, 2020 | Child Support |

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and numerous other factors, millions of Americans are currently or will soon be out of a job. The U.S. economy is on the front end of a recession, and the problem will almost certainly get worse before it gets better.

This financial crunch will impact many aspects of life, including child support. Whether you are the parent required to pay support or the parent relying on it to help your children, an interruption in payments can have major consequences. And unfortunately, one of the methods that Florida relies upon to enforce child support court orders could make the problem worse rather than better.

Nearly every state reserves the right to suspend a parent’s driver’s license for child support payment delinquency, including Florida. According to the Florida Department of Revenue, parents who are late on child support will be sent a notice in the mail that they have just 20 days from the date of notice to either pay the past-due amounts in full or make other arrangements to resolve the matter. If it is not resolved within that time frame, the state will suspend the obligor’s driver’s license.

This enforcement mechanism has plenty of critics, including those who allege that it makes no sense to make it harder for a child support obligor to get to work when they are already struggling to make payments. Please check back later this week as we continue this discussion in our next post. We’ll talk about a more effective solution either parent may want to consider when faced with non-payment of child support.

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