Finding a foothold for financial security after divorce is not impossible. However, depending on a person’s situation, doing so can end up being rather difficult. Divorced Texas parents often count on things like child support and alimony to make ends meet, but those payments do not always come as expected.
Recent statistics seem to indicate that Americans struggle to pay their court-ordered spousal or child support payments. Approximately 60% of child support orders are in arrears, meaning that the parent responsible for paying is not doing so. This could indicate that they possibly missed a few payments and are trying to catch up, they are not paying the full amount each month or that they have simply stopped paying.
So should parents consider these payments as critical parts of their monthly income? Some think it is better to not. After all, only around 40% of people who are supposed to be receiving child support actually receive what they are owed. For those who are able to do so, planning for child support as a bonus rather than income might make more sense.
Unfortunately, this is not a situation that any Texas parent should have to end up in. Many do not even realize that they have options for holding their ex-spouses responsible for their court-ordered child support payments. After a divorce, it is possible for either parent to petition the court for enforcement of child support order or for a modification to raise or lower the amount as necessary. Since modifications cannot be applied to missed payments in the past, it is usually better to request changes sooner rather than later.
