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What is UIFSA and how does it assist in collecting child support?

On Behalf of | Jan 6, 2016 | Child Support |

Parents in the Dallas area are obligated to adhere to the child support agreement if they are no longer together but share a child or children. Unfortunately, there are situations in which the supporting parent is found to have violated the support agreement and is being pursued for delinquent payments. A problem that can arise is if the parents do not reside in the same state or there is no child support agreement. In both instances, it is possible that the state intervene or use the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) to make sure the payments are made.

Under UIFSA, it is possible for Texas authorities to contact the state in which the other parent is residing and enforce a support order. The federal law was enacted in 1996. It was designed to reduce the delays and red tape that a parent usually had to go through when trying to recover delinquent payments from a parent who is no longer in the same state. These orders can be registered in different states so enforcement and changes to the agreement can be made. The orders will be enforced in the same manner as they are in the state in which the agreement has been registered.

States can now collect child support from parents who are residing in a different state through UIFSA. It is not necessary to have the help of the state agency where the supporting parent resides. Often, it is possible to send an order to withhold pay or other sources of income directly to the out-of-state parent’s employer. It is also possible to have a modification across different states. This could be due to a change in the situation of the paying or receiving parent.

If a modification is justified, the rules are based on the state that is making the order, the states in which the parents reside, and the controlling order. If one parent is in the state that has issued the controlling order, that state can modify the order. Many parents are not aware that their state and the state in which the other parent now resides can work together to make sure the child support payments are made when they should be. If there is an issue with child support enforcement, speaking to an attorney can help in getting the payments that are owed.

Source: texasattorneygeneral.gov, “UIFSA The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act,” accessed on Jan. 5, 2016

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