SC Child Support and Jail-Time
Child support is the ongoing obligation for the financial care and support of children from a former relationship or possibly terminated marriage. The laws governing child support in the United States vary by state and can cover food, clothing, utilities, education expenses and other costs. In South Carolina, both parents have a joint obligation for child support. However, typically the non-custodial parent pays child support to the custodial parent, who covers most of the child’s expenses.
The Child Support Guidelines published by the state of South Carolina offer guidance on the amount of child support and uses an income shares model based on the income of both parents.
Factors That Affect Child Support Payments
When you contact a qualified family law attorney about your child support case, you can learn more about the factors that be considered in child support payment adjustments. Those can include:
- Having more than six children
- Present consumer debt
- Educational expenses (child or spouse)
- Unreimbursed medical or dental expenses for either the parent or child
- Considerable disparity in incomes
- Alimony
- Mandatory retirement reductions on the part of either parent
What South Carolina Courts Demand in Child Support Enforcement
When non-custodial parents do not live up to their financial responsibilities, it makes it difficult for all involved, especially the children. South Carolina courts will not send the non-paying parent to jail if the circumstances are not considered willful. However, once the parent does not make child support payments as ordered by the court, the following will be required:
- Non-custodial parent must appear in court to explain why payments are not being made
- Without valid reasons, the judge may order an enforcement remedy, such as: license revocation, Federal or State income tax refund offset, administrative offset, unemployment insurance benefit offset, passport denial, administrative lien
- Judge has leeway to fine the non-custodial parent up to $1500 and or sentence the parent to jail for one full year for failure to pay
Please contact the Druanne White Law Firm, if you live in the Greenville area and want to learn more about your rights as a parent or non-custodial parent with regards to child support.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 4:25 pm and is filed under Child Support. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
