New Jersey Family Law BlogChild Support Sweep Nets Hundreds of Delinquent Parents
Efforts by the 21 sheriffs’ departments throughout New Jersey resulted in the arrest of some 953 people on charges of failure to pay child support. Those arrested owed over $14 million in combined child support payments. As of December 10, the State had collected about $233,000 or that amount as a result of the arrests. (1)
This three-day sweep was a cooperative effort by New Jersey’s Child Support Services and the State’s Sheriffs Association to ensure that non-custodial parents abide by the court ordered child support payments. These sweeps seek out both parents who are in arrears on their child support and those who neglect to attend court hearings to set up medical and/or support payment schedules. (2)
New Jersey’s Child Support Agency is entrusted with ensuring that child support payments are made in accordance with court orders. The Agency uncovers incidents of non-payment or late or partial payment of support and takes action to rectify the situation. Those actions can include, but are not limited to, withholding income, seizing assets such as lottery winnings and/or settlements or awards resulting from civil suits, and offsetting tax refunds. (3)
In addition, the Agency has the authority to report support payment arrears to credit agencies; call for the suspension of licenses, including drivers’ licenses, occupational or professional licenses, and sporting and recreational licenses; and deny issuance of passports. Further actions could include issuance of warrants and judgments seeking satisfaction of the delinquent payments. (3)
To ensure that each child gets what he or she is entitled to, the State conducts these sweeps on a biannual basis. (1)
(1) http://www.dailyrecord.com/fdcp/?1292069810148
(2) http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/nj_sheriffs_pull_in_nearly_100.html