If you are recently separated or divorced and you have been ordered to pay child support, it’s important that you understand what can happen if you fall behind on your child support payments. All states, not just Colorado, have a variety of ways to collect child support if a noncustodial parent falls behind, and they’re not pleasant.
Local child support agencies in Denver and throughout Colorado can garnish wages, seize funds in bank accounts (including a joint bank account with a new spouse), place liens on property, take tax refunds to pay child support, take a parent’s lottery winnings, deny a U.S. passport, and suspend a parent’s various licenses, which we’ll expand upon.
Child Support Arrears & License Suspensions
All 50 states have laws on the books that suspend the licenses of noncustodial parents who fall behind on their child support payments and Colorado is no exception. While each state’s particular “trigger criteria” is different, states standardly suspend licenses based on how far behind a parent is on their payments, or by how much they owe.
Colorado’s license suspension laws can be found under the Sections 26-13-123, 126, and 127.5 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. In Colorado, a parent’s licenses can be suspended once he or she is six months behind on child support while paying less than 50% of their monthly support payment each month.
The following licenses are subject to suspension for child support arrears:
- Driver license
- Occupational license
- Professional license
- Recreational license (e.g. hunting and fishing)
Next: When Does Child Support End in Colorado?
Have you received a notice about your licenses being suspended? Or are you worried about a possible suspension due to falling behind on child support payments? Either way, we urge you to contact Jones Law Firm, PC to meet with a Denver child support attorney. Call us at 720-513-5983 to discuss a downward modification and learn what steps can be taken to resolve your arrears and license suspension issues.
