When your ex stops paying child support, it can create immediate stress, financial instability, and uncertainty about what comes next. Child support is designed to ensure your child’s needs—such as food, clothing, housing, and education—are met. When payments stop, you do not have to face the situation alone or try to solve it without legal guidance. Here’s what you should do if your ex suddenly stops paying child support.

1. Confirm the Missed Payment and Keep Records
Before taking action, make sure the payment is truly late. Sometimes delays occur due to bank processing or employer payroll issues if the support is taken from wages.
Keep copies of:
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Missed payment dates
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Any communication with your ex
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Past payment history
These documents will help your attorney or the court verify nonpayment.
2. Do Not Confront Your Ex Directly
It may be tempting to contact your ex immediately, but direct confrontation can create conflict or backfire. Child support is a legal obligation, not something that needs to be negotiated with the other parent. Let the enforcement process handle it.
3. Contact Your State’s Child Support Enforcement Agency
Every state has a Child Support Enforcement (CSE) office that helps parents collect unpaid support. They can take action such as:
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Wage garnishment
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Tax refund interception
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Driver’s license suspension
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Freezing bank accounts
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Denying passport renewal
These agencies are powerful tools and often the most effective way to recover missed payments.
4. Ask the Court to Enforce the Child Support Order
If enforcement efforts fail or you want faster results, your family law attorney can file a Motion for Contempt. This asks the court to enforce the original child support order. If the judge finds your ex in contempt, they may be:
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Ordered to pay the full amount owed
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Fined
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Required to pay your attorney’s fees
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In severe cases, jailed until they comply
Courts take unpaid child support seriously, and legal action often leads to quick results.
5. Don’t Withhold Visitation
Even if your ex stops paying, you cannot legally withhold parenting time. Child support and visitation are treated separately. Denying visitation may actually hurt your case and place you in violation of a court order.
6. Avoid Private Agreements Not Approved by the Court
Some parents try to make side deals, such as reducing or delaying payments. This is risky. Only a court can modify child support. If your ex claims they “can’t afford it,” they must petition the court for a modification—until then, the full amount is owed.
7. Talk to a Family Law Attorney
An experienced family law attorney can guide you through enforcement, represent you at hearings, and ensure your child receives the support they are legally entitled to. You don’t have to tackle the legal system alone.
Final Thoughts
A missed child support payment is more than a financial inconvenience—it’s a violation of a legal order. You have options to collect what is owed and protect your child’s well-being. Whether through state enforcement, court action, or legal representation, you can take the steps necessary to hold your ex accountable and restore financial stability.
Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.
For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.








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