Stimulus check may be withheld for late child support

For many Missouri families, the past few weeks have been a bit chaotic. Parents that try to keep up with national news have found that the headlines are changing quickly, and it has become difficult to stay abreast of the latest legislation. Congress recently approved a stimulus package to help taxpaying citizens while many schools and businesses are closed, but parents that owe back child support may not be eligible to receive these funds.

At last calculation, nearly six million American parents are owed child support, but less than half have received the full amount owed. This indicates that millions of custodial parents must find other ways to provide basic necessities for their children. Missouri courts calculate child support on a case by case basis, and when a parent fails to fulfill his or her obligation, a child may not have access to the important things the payments are supposed to be used for.

The recent legislation to send stimulus payments to taxpayers includes a provision for recovering back child support payments from delinquent payors. Most families will get about $1200, with additional funds added per number of children. If a parent owes more than $2500.00 in back child support, however, the government can intercept the stimulus payment and apply it to the back balance owed to the custodial parent.

With everything so up in the air, Missouri parents want to ensure their children are still able to have food, clothing, shelter, educational materials and other necessities. If a custodial parent wants to establish, modify or enforce a child support order, he or she may want to contact an experienced attorney. An attorney can help a client get the matter handled legally and as quickly as possible.