When you fall behind on child support payments, it can create a lot of anxiety and financial stress. This is especially true if you are in a state that charges interest on unpaid child support payments. So instead of letting this debt rack up, what can you do? Well, you have come to the right place! You have low-cost options such as consolidating your child support balances and getting a loan to pay them down.
In this article, we will explore the risks of having child support arrears, child support debt consolidation, and what your options are. Without further ado, let’s walk through your options when it comes to getting a child support loan and consolidation.
What are child support arrears?
Child support arrears occur when you don’t make your monthly child support payments according to your court-assigned schedule. This basically means that you now owe child support payments.
Typically, these child support payments cannot be forgiven. They instead pool up and sometimes incur interest. You cannot simply just ignore a court-assigned child payment schedule. These payments do not go away. The longer you ignore them, the worse they become.
Currently, about 35 states in the United States apply interest to any child support in arrears. This means that the more you go without paying down your child support, the more you will end up owing with interest. If you live in these states, child support in arrears will incur interest:
States that charge interest on child support arrears
Alabama | Massachusetts | Puerto Rico |
Alaska | Michigan | Rhode Island |
Arizona | Minnesota | Tennessee |
Arkansas | Missouri | Texas |
California | Nebraska | Vermont |
Colorado | Nevada | Virginia |
Florida | New Mexico | Washington |
Georgia | New York | West Virginia |
Guam | North Dakota | Wisconsin |
Illinois | Ohio | Wyoming |
Iowa | Oklahoma | |
Kentucky | Oregon |
What are the risks of having child support arrears
If you are having difficulty in keeping up with child support payments, or are simply deciding to ignore them, they are risks involved. States usually take child support payments very seriously. Depending on which state you live in, here are some of the consequences you might after face:
- Garnish your wages
- Keep your tax refund
- Seize your property of bank balances
- Have fines imposed on you
- Placed in Jail
- Have a passport application denied
Can you get out of child support debt?
No, you can not get out of child support debt. Even if you file for bankruptcy, this does not forgive or pardon the child support obligation. States and courts do not show any remorse when it comes to child support payments. The law will do everything it can to make sure that any child support payments are collected and in full.
If you don’t want to face these consequences, your best bet is to do your best to make your payments on time. If you simply and truly do not have the funds to make these payments, been getting a loan to cover these payments might be an option you can take.
Can you get a child support loan?
Yes, you can get a personal loan to pay down your child support in arrears. This will completely depend on your credit history and credit score. Getting a loan to pay down your child support works the same way as any other personal loan. The application process Remains the Same.
Various lenders such as Lendingtree and Opploans are a fantastic way to starts. All you need to is figure out how much you need, fill in all the information, and determine if you are approved or not. Although getting a loan is an option you can take, it’s not always the best route to take either.
If the loan amount you are approved for is not large enough to cover your child support arrears, then this might not be a good option. Any personal loans you take out will have an interest. If the interest is higher than the interest you are incurring from the child support arrears, then it might end up being more expensive.
Are there grants to help pay back child support?
Yes, they are grants that exist out there that help pay back child support arrears but they are very rare and very few in between. These programs may not be obvious to most people, but they do exist.
To qualify for them, they have their own rules and requirements. It’s not just as easy as saying I don’t want to make child support payments so pay them for me. He will do needs to reach out to them individually to figure out their requirements.
TANF Emergency Fund for Noncustodial Parents
Note
At the time of writing this article, TANF was in assistance program that would help in aiding non-custodial parents to cover child support arrears. This option may not be available in the future, so keep that in mind.
TANF funds, including TANF emergency funds authorized under the Recovery Act, can be used to pay a benefit to a noncustodial parent to reduce or pay off child support arrearages owed to the family.
Final thoughts
If you find that the options listed in this article do not work for you, then your last resort is to contact the child support Administration in your area. The idea here is to discuss the available options to bring your child support obligations to current.
Remember, none of these obligations are forgivable or dischargeable. Even if you declare bankruptcy, you cannot get out of Child Support obligations. Regardless of the options they provide you, you cannot negotiate for an amount less than what is owed.
I wish you all the best of luck in resolving these outstanding child support payments. It can be daunting and difficult, but it is an obligation nonetheless.
Let me know your experiences in the comments below, and we can help figure it out 🙂