Enforcement

Florida Statute Section 61.14 governs enforcement and modification of child support issues. If a parent is not paying child support or following the court-ordered time sharing plan, an enforcement order can issued by the Court. If the parent does not comply with the enforcement order, he or she can be held in contempt, fined, jailed or both. In addition, the non-complying parent may be held responsible for paying reasonable court costs and attorney’s fees. However, even if child support is not being paid, time sharing of the child(ren) cannot be denied, as outlined in Florida Statute Section 61.09.

Income Deduction Order
In many circumstances, a Judge may enter an Income Deduction Order against the parent who has been ordered to pay child support. These orders are forwarded directly to the employer of the parent in question, and the court ordered child support amount will be taken directly out of his or her paycheck. An Income Deduction Oder can also be used for IRS refund checks, lottery winnings, unemployment benefits, insurance settlements, as well as workers’ compensation benefits.