Measures The Courts In Massachusetts Can Take If The Administrative Remedies Are Not Proving Effective In Enforcing Support Orders And The Other Parent Is Failing To Pay Child Support

A complaint for contempt may work in cases as mentioned above, and the courts can take whatever action they believe is appropriate to get the person to pay, up to putting them in jail until they pay. However, they generally do not wish to do this, and if there’s some legitimate reason the person’s not paying, they will not put them in jail. Still, it is a remedy available for persons willfully failing to pay child support. More likely, what they do is that they’ll modify the amount so they’ll pay the guidelines amount plus some extra amount every week to account for the arrearage, including penalties and interest, so it’s going to cost more to pay late than it would to pay on time. Then, typically, they’ll review that every three or four months to ensure that the person continues to pay until that balance is paid down.

Additional Information Regarding Modifications Or Enforcement Of Child Support Matters

There is a basis for a modification anytime that there’s a change in either the party’s incomes or who is paying for the health insurance, who is paying for child care expenses, or the amount of those expenses. Potentially, there is a basis for modification anytime you have a new child or special medical or educational needs present. So, those are the sort of events that you want to think about that maybe it’s worth going back in the court to get the amount modified.

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