Falling behind on child support payments is an issue that can plague many Washington residents. Unfortunately, if the payments are not made as required, they could face severe punishment, including jail time. It was recently reported that authorities in another state conducted a child support sweep in order to locate parties with payment arrears.
Fifteen individuals who were allegedly behind on child support payments were taken into custody. Each arrest apparently took place without incident. These individuals are currently waiting to make pending court appearances. Among those 15 individuals, the highest amount owed by one person was approximately $88,000, and the least amount owed was about $2,400. Combined, the 15 individuals accumulated $419,890 in unpaid payments.
It was also reported that seven more individuals decided to turn themselves in as a result of the sweep. Together, those individuals owed about $171,800. The highest amount owed by one individual in that group was almost $60,000. A county sheriff stated that these types of operations are worth the effort if it causes other parents to make their required payments.
There are some instances in which Washington parents may not make their child support payments due to extenuating circumstances. They may have faced job loss or an emergency that caused their financial state to take a drastic hit. As a result, they may struggle to make their payments and fall considerably behind. In order to potentially prevent the risk of facing jail time for unpaid payments, concerned individuals may wish to determine whether they could seek a child support modification in order to obtain a more fitting support agreement.
Source: nj.com, “15 arrested in Union County child support sweep“, Jessica Remo, Oct. 19, 2015