Q: My ex is ordered to pay CS. After 15 yrs, my ex decided to start making checks payable to my son, now 15
I do not want to ask my son for the money nor ask him to sign the CS checks over to me. I told my ex that the checks made payable to my son are considered to be gifts to him. I asked for checks to be payable to me. My ex is refusing my requests. I have represented myself for the last 13 years. What do you advise that I do? I live in Ellicott City, MD
A: File a motion to enforce the child support order and to determine the amount of the arrearage, and to reduce the amount to a civil judgment. You may, if you want to, join with that motion a motion to hold your son's father in contempt of the court order that directs him to pay child support. The contempt finding would hang the threat of jail over your ex's head if he has the ability to pay some amount toward the arrearage and ongoing support payments, but fails to do so. You'd be surprised how fast money materializes and gets paid after he's put in jail. Otherwise, with the monetary judgment, you can garnish his bank accounts and wages, and if he owns real property, the judgment will act as a lien against it in any county where the judgment is recorded (so, Howard County as of the date of entry, and any other county you file the judgment in afterwards).
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