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Can You Stop Paying Child Support During Covid?

Can You Stop Paying Child Support During Covid?

March 5, 2021
By Edward Miley

How Changed Income Due to the Pandemic Can Affect Your Child Support

The Coronavirus has taken a profound, unyielding toll on many people’s financial situations. Few sectors of the population have come out unscathed by the pandemic, with many experiencing unemployment, a reduction in hours, or substantial pay cuts. 

If your income has been impacted by COVID-19 or you are no longer receiving court-ordered child support, contact the Miley Law Firm, P.C. immediately. Our experienced attorneys can help you obtain a modification based on reduced income or enforce a current court order.

Call (702) 850-3600 to discuss your legal options with a skilled litigator today.

Does Someone Have to Pay Child Support If They Lost Their Job?

A change in income can affect your child support obligations or the amount you receive, but only through a modification requested by one or both parties. A court order for child support remains effective and must be complied with until modified or terminated. A person must go through a legal process to request a modification in order to reduce their child support.

Most Nevada Courts, including those in Clark County, remain operational for family law cases, including child support collection and distribution. Some hearings may be held via video or teleconference instead of in-person to comply with COVID-related restrictions. 

You must still pay child support during COVID. Do not stop making payments unless your obligations are modified or terminated by the court. 

Can Child Support Payments Be Withheld From Unemployment Benefits?

Preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Las Vegas’s unemployment rate was over 11 percent in November 2020. The unemployment rates due to the Coronavirus in Nevada and across the country are staggering, but without a modification, child support obligations remain unchanged.

Child support payments can and will be withheld from unemployment benefits, which is why it is imperative to request a modification if you have lost your job or suffered a drastic change in income as a result of the pandemic. 

Were Past-Due Child Support Payments Deducted from Stimulus Checks?

In order to help those most affected by the financial crisis created by the pandemic, the federal government issued two sets of stimulus checks. The first round of stimulus checks was subject to child support garnishment. 

The second round of stimulus checks, issued by the federal government in December 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, however, were not subject to being seized for past-due child support.

Do I Need an Attorney?

It is always in your best interest to have legal representation in any family law matters.

Our experienced and compassionate lawyers at the Miley Law Firm can represent you in any of the following family law cases:

Contact the Miley Law Firm for More Information

Because of the pandemic’s far-reaching economic implications, many people may have had a substantial change in their income. If you need to request a change or modification to your child support arrangements, contact the Miley Law Firm today for more information.
Our attorneys are well-versed in helping payers obtain reductions in their overall child support obligations based on a change in income, as well as helping enforce court-ordered support payments. Contact our office by calling (702) 850-3600 to request a consultation

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