Custody arrangements and child support are often the most contentious topics in a divorce. While most parents want to meet their financial obligations to their child after a divorce, divorcing spouses do not always agree about what those obligations are.
Courts resolve this issue by mandating child support payments. It is important to understand how to make your required payments to avoid any potential penalties.
How to pay child support
If the court has issued an order for child support payments to be withheld from your paycheck, your employer will take the money out of your check before you get paid and forward it to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
The DOR will process the payment and then send the money to your child’s other parent. It sometimes takes several weeks for your employer to start processing these payments. You must send the payments to the DOR yourself while you are waiting for your employer to start withholding the money from your check.
How to pay child support yourself
If you need to pay child support yourself, there are four ways you can pay:
- Online
- By credit or debit card over the phone
- In-person
If you choose to pay online, you can either log in to the site every time you need to make a payment or set up a recurring payment that the DOR will automatically withdraw from your checking or savings account. Avoid sending payments directly to your child’s other parent. There will be no record of these payments and you may receive a penalty for delinquency.
Paying your required child support correctly and on time can help you avoid potential penalties.
