If you struggle to pay child support on time, it is vital to understand how falling behind could affect you. Aside from losing your passport, facing contempt of court charges and other serious penalties, missing child support payments could also threaten your driving privileges.
Whether you currently owe back support or you have concerns about your ability to keep making payments on time, it is pivotal to know your options. Sometimes, payment plans help non-custodial parents address these challenges, while others can modify their child support order due to major changes with regard to their finances.
Unpaid child support and license suspension
According to the Illinois Secretary of State, parents who have more than three months’ worth of back child support could have their driver’s license suspended. Under the Family Financial Responsibility Act, the Secretary of State can suspend a delinquent parent’s driver’s license.
Prior to the suspension of your license, you will receive a notice, and you could avoid losing your license by setting up arrangements to pay back child support.
The impact of license suspension over back child support
If you lose your license due to missing child support payments, many aspects of your life could unravel. For example, you could lose the ability to drive to work, which could make it even more difficult to pay your child support obligations. Running errands and even seeing your children could become more challenging as well.
It is vital to thoroughly go over your finances and different strategies to address unpaid child support (or avoid falling behind in the first place).
