If you are preparing to get a divorce and you have kids, you likely need to carefully review a number of legal topics, such as child custody and child support. If you have to pay child support, it is vital to ensure that you stay current, especially since becoming delinquent could lead to serious penalties.
In Tennessee, many parents pay child support through income withholding orders sent to their employer. If you expect to have child support withheld from your income, you should familiarize yourself with this process.
Child support and income withholding orders
According to the Tennessee Department of Human Services, the state’s child support office sends income withholding orders to the employers of non-custodial parents who have to pay child support. With such an order in place, child support is automatically deducted from a parent’s earnings and paid to the state.
Employers receive information related to the obligor’s circumstances in order to make sure that they fulfill child support obligations.
Paying child support before a withholding order takes effect
It is important to note that some parents have to pay child support on their own until an income withholding order takes effect. Non-custodial parents have the responsibility to pay the support they owe before their employer implements income withholding, or else they could face repercussions.
In Tennessee, you can pay child support online, via postal mail, over the phone or at an approved location. It is also important to familiarize yourself with payment options in case you lose your job and no longer pay support through an income withholding order.