Required Wage Attachment
There are several methods which can be used to enforce a support order. Effective July 1, 1990, all cases automatically require a wage attachment order. This is a court order which directs the defendant’s employer to subtract the amount of support from the defendant’s paycheck and pay this amount directly to the Domestic Relations Section within 10 days. Wage attachments also can be used on unemployment compensation, worker’s disability, and some pension benefits.
Issuing a Notice of Non-Compliance
If payments are not being made despite the wage attachment, or if the defendant is not paying the full amount as ordered, the case is eligible for enforcement action. A notice of non-compliance is mailed monthly to defendants who fail to make regular support payments or have not made a payment in 30 days.
Attending a Contempt Conference / Hearing
This notice reminds the defendant of his or her duty to pay, and of the legal problems caused by failure to pay support. If the defendant continues to not make payments, he or she is in violation of the court order, and contempt of court procedures may be started. This includes a contempt conference to determine whether or not the defendant is in contempt of court. Through these contempt proceedings a defendant can be forced to find employment, make a lump sum payment, or be put in jail by order of a judge after a finding of willful contempt at a contempt hearing.
Income Tax Refund Intercept
In addition, federal income tax refunds may be intercepted (taken) and applied to back support. The Domestic Relations Section will automatically apply for an IRS tax refund intercept on all qualifying cases. To qualify for the IRS intercept program, all of the following eligibility requirements must be met:
- Only child support can be collected. Your support order must be for child support only. However, spousal support may be included if the same order includes support for both spouse and children.
- There must be at least $500 in past-due child support payments (or $150 if arrears owed to welfare) and one month of arrears (orthree months of arrears if arrears are owed to welfare) for a case to qualify for IRS intercept. Any money owed to welfare will be paid first from any IRS tax refund received. Retroactive arrears (those arrears which occur between the time the case is started and the time the money order is entered) cannot be collected by IRS tax refund intercept. Each month, the Pennsylvania Automated Child Support Enforcement System (PACSES) system automatically submits eligible cases for IRS intercept.
- The child must be under 18 years of age as of December 31 of the tax year you are applying for.
- We must have the correct Social Security number of the person who owes the child support payments.
If you have any questions about the IRS intercept program, please contact the Domestic Relations IRS intercept coordinator at 610-278-3646 or bymail at:
Domestic Relations Section
Attn: IRS Intercept Coordinator
Montgomery County Domestic Relations
P.O. Box 311
Norristown, PA 19404-0311
Credit Bureau Reporting
If a defendant owes back support (arrears) Domestic Relations may report him or her to the credit bureau. The plaintiff does not have to request this action, because it is done automatically by the PACSES system. In order for this to happen the defendant must be at least 60 days in arrears. The defendant’s arrears are then reported to the credit bureau. This, in turn, affects the defendant’s credit rating.
Liens & Judgment
Any past due support becomes a lien automatically. If the person who owes the support is buying, selling, or refinancing real property and owes past due support, the automatically resulting lien would normally have to be paid in full before he or she would be allowed to buy, sell, or refinance the property. Title companies, banks, and mortgage companies routinely contact the Domestic Relations Section to verify if the person involved in a real estate transaction owes any past due support, and if so, how much.
According to law, any child support payment that is not paid when due automatically becomes a judgment after 30 days. This means that the judgment will have full force and effect like any other judgment of court, and will be enforceable in this or any other state. This judgment will end when all past due support has been paid. Domestic Relations keeps an account of all support payments made under court order. The records of the Domestic Relations are used to determine the amount of the judgment.
A judgment becomes a lien against property and can be enforced for past due support against such defendants who are selling or refinancing property. That lien would normally have to be paid in full before they would be allowed to sell or refinance their property.
Note:Title companies are required to receive a certification of balances due.
Driver's License Suspension
Recent changes to the law allow forsuspension of driver's licenses if a payor is delinquent in the payment of his or her support debt.
