Understanding Child Support Enforcement Options

At our firm in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, we’ve seen firsthand how missed child support payments can place stress on custodial parents and limit what a child needs to thrive. Kentucky law supports strong enforcement measures to help custodial parents collect what’s legally owed. Still, enforcement isn't automatic. It requires effort, time, and legal support.

As child support attorneys, we help parents work through nonpayment issues with both skill and determination. We know how frustrating it can be to face delay after delay while trying to collect support that should’ve arrived weeks—or even months—ago. Learn more from Caleb Bland Law, PLLC.

What Child Support Covers in Kentucky

Child support isn't extra income or a favor from the other parent. It's a legal obligation aimed at meeting a child’s basic and reasonable needs. In Kentucky, child support typically covers:

• Housing and utilities

• Food and clothing

• Health insurance and medical expenses

• Childcare

• Education costs

• Extracurricular activities (depending on the arrangement)

The amount is based on the Kentucky Child Support Guidelines, which consider income, parenting time, insurance costs, and more. Once a court issues an order, the paying parent must follow it. When that doesn’t happen, the receiving parent has a legal right to seek enforcement—and that’s where a child support attorney steps in.

An Intro to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS)

Kentucky’s CHFS Child Support Enforcement Division offers services to help custodial parents collect payments, even if a private attorney isn't involved. These services include:

• Locating noncustodial parents

• Establishing paternity

• Setting up wage withholding

• Enforcing court orders

• Reviewing support orders for modification

While the CHFS can be useful, it doesn’t always act quickly or aggressively. For that reason, many parents turn to a private child support attorney to speed up the process and apply additional legal pressure when needed.

Income Withholding Orders

The most common enforcement tool in Kentucky is income withholding. This is a court-ordered process where child support payments are automatically deducted from the paying parent's paycheck before they receive it.

A child support attorney can request income withholding when a support order is first created—or later, if payments stop. Employers are legally required to comply with these orders. If the paying parent changes jobs, the order must follow them to the new employer.

This method is reliable but not foolproof. It won’t help if the parent is self-employed, paid in cash, or frequently changes jobs without updating their information. In those cases, other enforcement steps may be needed.

Contempt of Court Actions

When a parent intentionally refuses to pay child support, the court may find them in contempt. Contempt is a serious legal finding that means someone knowingly disobeyed a court order.

To pursue this option, a child support attorney files a motion with the court. The nonpaying parent must attend a hearing and explain the missed payments. If the court finds them in contempt, possible penalties include:

• Fines

• Jail time (often used as a last resort)

• Additional fees and court costs

• A court order to pay the past-due amount (arrears) by a deadline

We’ve represented many clients in these hearings. Our goal isn’t punishment for its own sake—it’s motivating payment. Courts usually give the nonpaying parent a short window to pay or face consequences.

Intercepting Tax Refunds and Lottery Winnings

Another way to collect past-due child support is through intercepting money the noncustodial parent is set to receive from the government. The most common sources include:

• Federal and state tax refunds

• Kentucky Lottery winnings

• Certain state income benefits

The Department of Revenue or CHFS handles these intercepts. However, a child support attorney can monitor the situation and request court involvement if necessary.

Tax refund intercepts are especially helpful when a nonpaying parent works under the table and income withholding isn’t effective. It’s also a way to chip away at large arrears when other tools haven’t worked.

License Suspension

Kentucky law allows the suspension of various licenses when child support remains unpaid for an extended time. This can include:

• Driver’s licenses

• Professional or occupational licenses

• Hunting and fishing licenses

The court can initiate suspension once the parent is at least six months behind or hasn’t made a full payment in the last six months. A child support attorney can request license suspension through a formal motion to the court or by coordinating with CHFS.

This method is often effective for parents who need a valid driver’s license for work or rely on professional licenses to earn income. Reinstatement usually requires a good faith payment or repayment plan.

Property Liens and Asset Seizure

When other efforts fail, a child support attorney may recommend placing a lien on the nonpaying parent's property. Liens make it difficult to sell or refinance homes, cars, or other valuable assets without first paying off the support debt.

In severe cases, Kentucky law allows for:

• Bank account levies

• Seizure and sale of personal property

• Foreclosure on real estate

These methods take longer and often require court approval. Still, for parents dealing with years of unpaid support, these steps can help recover large sums that would otherwise be lost.

Passport Denial and Suspension

If a parent owes more than $2,500 in child support, the federal government can deny or revoke their passport. This applies whether they’re applying for a new passport or trying to renew an existing one.

As child support attorneys, we’ve used this method in cases where the nonpaying parent plans international travel for work or leisure. The inconvenience often leads to prompt payments or an agreement to settle the arrears.

Although this option comes through the U.S. State Department, we can help clients initiate the process or verify that a denial is in place.

Reporting to Credit Bureaus

Child support debt can affect a parent’s credit rating. If arrears reach a certain level, the debt may be reported to the credit bureaus. This can lower the nonpaying parent’s credit score and limit their ability to secure loans, housing, or credit cards.

While this doesn’t directly transfer money to the custodial parent, it can pressure the delinquent parent to catch up. A child support attorney can request this action or confirm that it’s been triggered through CHFS.

Wage Garnishment for Self-Employed Parents

Self-employed parents often don’t have a traditional paycheck. In those cases, standard income withholding won’t work. But Kentucky courts can still order garnishment from other income sources like:

• Business earnings

• Contract payments

• Commissions

A child support attorney may request financial discovery to uncover income streams. Once identified, we can ask the court to issue garnishment orders to clients, vendors, or financial institutions the parent works with.

Criminal Non-Support Charges

In rare cases, nonpayment of child support rises to the level of a criminal offense. Kentucky law allows for misdemeanor or felony charges depending on how much is owed and how long payments have been missed.

These charges don’t replace civil enforcement—they run alongside it. We rarely lead with criminal charges, but they can be effective when the parent is deliberately avoiding responsibility.

Our job as child support attorneys is to weigh all legal options and choose the one most likely to produce a result. Jail may be a last resort, but it’s available when all other tools fail.

Contact a Child Support Attorney in Elizabethtown

Helping clients in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, as well as Radcliff, Shepherdsville, Bardstown, Brandenburg, Leitchfield, Hodgenville, and Louisville, we’re here for you. We also work in Hardin County, Meade County, Grayson County, Breckinridge County, Nelson County, LaRue County, Hart County, and Bullitt County. Reach out to Caleb Bland Law, PLLC to schedule a consultation with our firm.