If you find yourself in the middle of a divorce and expect to owe child support soon, or if you recently started a job and will have child support payments taken out of your check, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with income withholding. Some parents pay child support in other ways, such as making online payments, but many parents pay child support through income withholding.
It is pivotal to understand how these payments work and prepare yourself for child support obligations. After all, falling behind on child support can lead to harsh penalties.
How does income withholding work?
The Indiana Department of Child Services provides an overview of income withholding, which involves a non-custodial parent’s employer or income provider withholding child support payments from their income. After receiving the court order for income withholding, your employer will withhold child support payments from your income and send them to the state.
What are the benefits of income withholding?
Income withholding offers a number of advantages, such as helping to ensure that the state processes your payments on time and that payments go to the right party in the correct amount. These payments become documented, so you and the court have a clear record of payments made. In comparison to other child support payment methods, income withholding is convenient and can help reduce the likelihood of missing a payment or making mistakes while trying to pay support.
If you have an income withholding order in place, it is crucial to prepare from a financial viewpoint and make sure that you stay current on child support obligations.