In New Jersey, non-custodial parents who fail to make child support payments can be arrested and have their wages or assets garnished. To receive the monthly payments they need, custodial parents may have to petition the court for an enforcement order.
New Jersey parents might have seen recent headlines about the arrest of the New York Giants’ Will Hill. A vehicle in which Hill was a passenger was stopped for a minor traffic violation, and a subsequent investigation turned up a warrant for Hill’s arrest. He reportedly owed about $9,180 in child support.
The 23-year-old was taken to jail in Hudson County and released after making the support payment. Hill’s income for 2013 was reportedly $480,000.
Each family situation is different, and there is no single child support arrangement that will fit every scenario. The amount of child support a parent pays is determined based on a range of factors, and New Jersey law provides statutes and guidelines for establishing the amount of monthly child support payments.
When calculating a fair amount, parents typically have to consider the lifestyle they and their children had prior to the divorce, and it isn’t uncommon for the paying parent to challenge the reasonableness of the expenditures claimed by the custodial parent.
Of course, each parent’s income will also be considered when calculating the amount of support payments, but there may be other factors, such as a child’s special needs or talents, that need to be figured into the equation.
To achieve the best possible outcome for their children, parents may want to speak with their attorneys to negotiate an appropriate child support arrangement or enforce an existing order.
Source: The Jersey Journal, “Police: Giants safety Hill was behind $9K in child support; odor of marijuana in car,” Ron Zeitlinger, Dec. 31, 2013
