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If you are court-ordered to pay child support, complying with that court order is a crucial expectation of the Court that entered the order. Generally, your children rely on child support for ensuring that their needs are met, including such things as their clothing, shelter, transportation, and food. Given the vital importance of child support payments, the Courts in Kansas and Missouri do not take kindly to parents who fail to meet their obligation and responsibility to their children in a timely manner.
In Kansas and Missouri, if you do not provide child support as ordered by the court, you fall behind in payments, or you consistently make late payments, one of the remedies available to the Court is a suspension of your:
- Driver's license
- Hunting license
- Fishing license
- Another recreational license
- Professional license (license to practice law, medicine, real estate, cosmetology, or any other profession that requires a license)
The Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) in Missouri and the Kansas Department of Children and Families Child Support DCFCS) will play an active role in pursuing the child support that needs to be paid. The relevant agency submits your name to the Missouri or Kansas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for suspending your driver’s license. the delay in making child support payment is at least 30 days, the DCSS will submit your
Procedure for License Suspension
After the licensing agency in the relevant state (such as the Missouri or Kansas DMV or the professional licensing board that issues professional licenses) receives the notification of the non-payment of support, it will send you a notice about it. If you receive this type of notice, it is imperative that you get legal counsel involved immediately as you have a short deadline to file an objection or response or request a diversion plan that will allow you to maintain your license.
If you fail to timely respond to the licensing agency after receiving notice (within the deadline period you are given), you will receive a suspended license. When this occurs, it is much harder and more difficult to address the issue.
What action should you take if you receive a notification?
If you receive notification from the Kansas or Missouri DMV about a license suspension, you should immediately get a skilled family law attorney involved to assist you with timely taking the appropriate steps to address this concern. Your attorney will be able to give you legal advice about meeting your deadline to respond to the relevant licensing agency and assist you with a plan or solution to get the problem addressed in a fashion that is hopefully sufficient to allow you to maintain your license while addressing the concerns of timely and appropriate payment of court-ordered child support. With the assistance of an experienced attorney, it is possible to avoid having your license suspended or get the suspension on your license released. Each case or situation involving license revocation is unique however, and you should consult with legal counsel about the options available to you based on your individual situation.
Often, another consideration when you receive a notice of license suspension, is the necessity to seek a modification of your child support amount. In many circumstances, if your employment, income or other financial resources have substantially changed, resulting in the difficulty getting your child support paid, it is imperative that you seek modification of the current amount of support so that you do not continue to struggle to comply with the Court’s order.
Are There Other Possible Consequences if I Fail to Pay Child Support?
The Court has a wide variety of remedies available to it, to enforce its orders. These remedies can include such things as fines, requiring the person obligated to pay child support to appear regularly at accountability hearings with the court, or even suspending or refusing to issue a passport for international travel. If your child support arrears are $2,500 or more, the US State Department will deny your application for issuing a new passport or renewing an existing one until you clear your arrearage amount in full.
Seek Skilled Legal Representation for Your Child Support Case
Choosing a knowledgeable child support attorney in Kansas or Missouri for legal representation in regard to your child support case, including cases involving enforcement, modification, license revocation, or defending against other potential civil or criminal charges is crucial to a positive outcome. Please reach out to our knowledgeable attorneys at Pingel Family Law at (816) 208-8130 to have a consultation and discuss your options related to your child support situation.