If the courts have demanded that you receive a certain amount of child support every single month, then chances are that they arranged the amount in a bracket that they assumed was affordable for your ex. If your ex-spouse is unable to make those payments, and you are not getting the funds that you need, then you can take several steps to work towards receiving report.
First of all, it is essential that you document all of the missed payments and keep a running tally which you can show the courts when you petition for child support that has not yet been paid. It is also important that you keep a parent involved in his or her child's life even if he or she isn't paying child support. If you shut the parent out, this may work against you rather than for you. If a parent is shut out of his or her child's life, it may demotivate that person to pay child support even further. On the other hand, if you keep a parent involved in his or her child's life, it may motivate that parent to pay the support when it is affordable.
It is also important that as the receiving spouse you do not budget around your child support, especially if your spouse is not reliable. Essentially, if a person is not reliable then you cannot be certain that you will get these funds every month, and should not rely on them for your day to day expenses. Family law experts also suggest that you do not run to your lawyer right away. Give the situation some time before you jump to the conclusion that you need to take this case to court.
You should wait about six months before asking a county sheriff to help you enforce child support. At this point, authorities may demand that your ex pay you through wage execution or through probation. If the child support is still not being paid, it may be necessary to take this issue to court and demand enforcement. Contact a Los Angeles family attorney at Claery & Hammond if you would like more information on this issue!