As reported by CBS News Chicago, a relatively new squad of Chicago-area police officers known as the Cook County Sheriff's Child Support Enforcement Unit specifically tracks down and often arrests child support scofflaws.
Sometimes even the most favorable child support order brokered by the most skilled divorce attorney in Chicago isn't enough. The state's Dept. of Child Support Services often can help by garnishing wages or other methods.
Illinois Legal Aid also provides resources to help custodial parents enforce child support order without going to court. According to information on the site, the following conditions must be met before a parent can enforce a child support order out of court:
- There is already a child support order against the non-custodial parent.
- The non-custodial parent hasn't paid all of the ordered support.
- The non-custodial parent has a steady job and a paycheck.
- You know the exact amount of unpaid support owed.
The next step often involves bringing in the big guns, quite literally.
The aforementioned Cook County Sheriff's squad, started more than two years ago, enters the homes of deadbeat parents just as if it were a drug raid or other criminal matter. One man illustrated in the CBS article who allegedly owes almost $6,000 in child support was described as being very surprised by the arrival of armed officers at his front door.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart explained how the 17-member squad is merely trying to provide some justice for custodial parents stuck without enough money to care for their families:
"So many of these mothers were destitute, they really had nothing."
Obviously it's difficult to work and earn money to pay down a child support debt if you're in jail; so deadbeat parents often wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and are allowed to either be in their house or at work.
Since the unit was founded, nearly 1,000 arrests have been made and more than 13,000 summonses have been served.
Related Resources:
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Child Support Enforcement Resources (FindLaw)
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Browse Chicago Family Law Attorneys (FindLaw)
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Unpaid Child Support Leads to Arrests (FindLaw Law & Daily Life Blog)
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