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South Jersey & Philadelphia

Can you keep your former spouse from seeing your child?

On Behalf of | Mar 12, 2021 | Child Support

Many single parents in New Jersey and Pennsylvania rely on monthly child support checks to help them pay for their children’s expenses. If your former spouse stops paying child support, you might be scrambling to pay your monthly bills. Could you withhold visitation as a form of punishment?

What happens if you withhold visitation?

Withholding visitation might seem like a good way to get your spouse to pay child support, but this plan could actually backfire on you in court. If the judge rules that your former spouse has the right to see the child, you can’t interfere with that court order. Your former spouse might bring up the issue in court, which could harm your custody case and could make you look like an irresponsible parent.

Instead, talk to a child custody attorney about ways you can get your spouse to pay child support. Most courts won’t take away visitation rights as a form of punishment. However, they might garnish your former spouse’s wages or take away his or her passport. If the situation gets bad enough, your former spouse might even have to spend some time in jail. It’s better to talk to an attorney before you try to take the issue into your own hands.

Are you having issues with your former spouse?

Some irresponsible parents will try to dodge their child support responsibilities after their divorces. You can’t force the former spouse to pay child support, but you could talk to an attorney and get the court to intervene.

Once a judge orders your former spouse to pay child support, he or she doesn’t have a choice in the matter. Even if he or she rarely sees your child, your ex is still required to provide for the child financially. Your attorney could help you hold your former spouse accountable and get the payments that you need to support your child.

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