By Terri Gough - 15 Aug 2021
You thought it was sorted. You had visited Inland Revenue's
website and completed a 'formula assessment'. Money was being paid
for the children and now - suddenly - those payments have
stopped.
You've tried following up and sorting it out amicably, but the
liable parent is ignoring you. What can you do?
Despite what you may think, the liable parent's obligation to
pay child support is to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue. This
means the Commissioner is generally the one who will be able to
obtain outstanding payments on your behalf.
There are a wide range of powers available to the Commissioner
to enforce payment , including:
- Arranging automatic payments to be taken from the (non) paying
parent's salary/wages;
- Arranging for the (non) paying parent to appear before a Court,
for examination, to establish that party's means and reason(s) for
non-payment;
- To amend the formula assessment (as is appropriate);
and/or
- Make orders for enforcement of the outstanding payments and
arrears.
Asking the Commissioner to take action to enforce payment
against a liable parent sounds straight-forward - however - this
should be done in writing and should include evidence to support
your request. The Inland Revenue will not assist with collection
unless this step is taken. We can help with this to ensure Child
Support payments resume quickly, without fuss and in a cost
efficient manner.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions
in relation to Child Support obligations or enforcement.
Contact
Terri
Gough