Long story short … we have a child support agreement that was issued last year where he pays $479/month on the first of each month. He has done so up until recently and now he is slacking and paying here and there and has accumulated some arrearages.
I’ve gone to court and he has to pay $588 from last year and that is due by May 12. Court ordered or fined/jailed if not paid. Well now he is $129 short from March’s child support and has not yet paid any of April’s child support. So as of now, he owes $608 immediately.
Is there a certain amount that I have to wait to reach before going to the courthouse and taking out a contempt order for non-payment of support or can I have him served for non payment now for such a “small” amount. It may seem to small to everyone else but I depend on that money each and every month. I have contacted Child Support Enforcement and they have a hearing to take over my case but that won’t happen until June. Between now and then, I could be in more dire straits than I already am.
What are my options at this point? My attorney won’t do anything because I have gone to child support enforcement but CSE won’t take over until June so as of right now, I’m basically in limbo and will have to do everything myself. What can I do and what can I expect? Can I have him thrown in jail? How exactly does this work and what exactly do I need to do?
Thank you for any and all help you can offer.