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How can I collect child support if my ex moved out of state?

by | Mar 22, 2019 | Child Support

If you’re struggling to collect your child support money from a parent who has moved out of Tennessee, it can be quite frustrating. Sometimes, a noncustodial parent’s job can take them to another region, but other times, the parents are simply trying to dodge paying what they owe.

While collecting your child support money can be challenging, it is certainly possible, and that’s where a Tennessee family law attorney can be quite useful to you.

There is a law in place that makes this a bit easier for those seeking support dollars. The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) was passed in 1992. As such, it provides standards for all states to follow when enforcing child support agreements and orders all over the country.

One of the provisions of UIFSA states that only a single child support order is enforceable at one time. So, if your order was granted here in Tennessee but your spouse now lives in Alabama, the Tennessee order is the one that is the valid controlling order. It must be then registered in the Alabama court to be enforced.

Once that has been taken care of, if your ex still avoids making support payments, their wages may be garnished or their property seized. Other actions include suspension of professional and business licenses and even revocation of their driver’s license until the parent is in compliance with the order.

If you do not yet have a child support order in place, that must be your first priority. Sometimes you must also establish paternity in these cases if the father’s name is not on the birth certificate or the father has not acknowledged paternity in other ways. You might need to attend a video-conference court appearance with your ex in attendance from out-of-state. Your Tennessee family law attorney can help you prepare for the hearing.