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Child Support Enforcement

Knowledgeable Rhode Island Child Support Enforcement Lawyers

Trusted legal guidance with enforcing child support

The State of Rhode Island has numerous legal tools for enforcing child support orders and  collecting past due child support. At Kirshenbaum Law Associates, our attorneys understand the importance of supporting children and work diligently with parents to enforce child support orders so they can receive the support their children need.

How child support enforcement works in Rhode Island

While circumstances change and parents can request a child support modification, until they do so and receive approval from the Rhode Island Family Court, child support orders are written in stone and must be enforced. When a parent is 30 days late or underpays child support by $25 or more, a computerized, automatically generated program goes into effect to enforce child support payments.

Actions that can be taken to enforce child support payments

The Office of Child Support Services can take any of the following actions to enforce child support payments:

  • Passport denial
  • Bank match
  • Lottery intercept
  • Credit bureau reporting
  • Driver’s license suspension
  • Administrative liens
  • Insurance proceeds intercept
  • Federal tax refund intercept
  • Motions for contempt adjudication
  • Restraining orders
  • Criminal prosecution
  • Arrest warrants
  • Sale of assets (car, etc)

Bank match refers to banks providing information about a parent’s savings or checking account. When a non-custodial parent owes $500, a report goes to the participating banks and Child Support Services places a lien on the bank account for the amount owed. Similarly, the Office of Child Services can send written notice of an intent to put a lien on personal or real estate property for past due child support. This is called an administrative lien and no minimum past due amount is necessary to trigger an administrative lien. Willfully failing to pay child support when it reaches the amount of $10,000 and it is not paid for three years is subject to state criminal prosecution, which can result in maximum imprisonment for five years.

A child support attorney can file motions with the court on your behalf to enforce child support, such as filing a motion to hold the spouse in contempt for failure to pay child support. Your attorney can also take action on your behalf to deal with the failure to pay interstate child support.

Get legal help with child support payment enforcement

At Kirshenbaum Law Associates, we can help you enforce child support payment and your legal fees are based on contingency, meaning you owe no fees unless we are successful in obtaining a child support award for you. Arrange an appointment to discuss your child support enforcement issues. Contact us online or call 401-437-5169 today.

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