| > | | | | child support and spousal support must be written in a |
| Child support is a very important part of any divorce | | | | Court Order or written agreement in format prescribed |
| process. In family law the term child support | | | | by the regulations of your local child support protection |
| (sometimes child maintenance) is defined as the | | | | organization. Consulting an experienced family lawyer, |
| ongoing obligation for a periodic payment made directly | | | | will speed up this process and help you to avoid |
| or indirectly by a non-custodial parent to a custodial | | | | mistakes. The agreement must hold precise |
| parent, caregiver or guardian, or the government, for | | | | information on who pays support, who receives it, the |
| the care and support of children of a relationship or | | | | amount and frequency of payments, whether the |
| marriage that has been terminated. Child support is | | | | payment is for spousal or child support, the start date |
| usually arranged during a divorce, marital separation, | | | | and the end date of the payments. If the document is |
| dissolution, annulment, determination of parentage or | | | | not written well, you might not be able to enforce the |
| dissolution of a civil union. This term is recognized | | | | non-paying side, because most of the organizations |
| worldwide and most of the countries support the right | | | | that enforce child support have no right to vary the |
| of a child to receive a financial compensation. In | | | | language in the Order/Agreement. |
| various countries the regulating of child support is | | | | |
| provided by different organizations and schemes. In | | | | After filling a request to your local organization and the |
| Australia for example enforcement is overseen by a | | | | proper execution of the agreement, the organization |
| national office, In the United States it is handled by the | | | | can start to enforce payments. Before this process |
| state governments, but in rare cases it can be a | | | | starts the payer is notified that he has the last chance |
| subject to federal prosecution. In Canada this type of | | | | to make voluntary payments in the form of post-dated |
| enforcement is handled by individual provinces, with | | | | cheques or direct deposit. After that the organization |
| financial and logistical assistance from the federal | | | | requests payments from the payer and checks his |
| government. All the Canadian Provinces have their | | | | financial information. In about 10 days the payments are |
| own legislations, which help to provide the most | | | | usually restored. In some cases when the payer |
| effective methods of enforcing support in difficult | | | | refuses to cooperate the organization can provide the |
| cases. | | | | following enforcements: collect the payer's tax refund, |
| | | | | registration at Land Titles or the Personal Property |
| But before turning to such an agency there are two | | | | registry, denial of Federal licenses (passports), motor |
| simple rules that the parent or guardian, must | | | | vehicle restrictions and driver's license cancellations. In |
| remember: consultation with a family lawyer and most | | | | some provinces the local organizations are seeking |
| important a well written agreement on child support. | | | | opportunities to charge the payers and seek penalty |
| The agreement will be the cornerstone of your | | | | for them. |
| defense in case any problems arise. All the terms of | | | | |