As a child support lawyer TN trusts, I know falling behind on child support payments has strict consequences. If you miss payments or stop paying altogether, you could be in serious trouble, including jail time. Of course every parent wants to support their child, but unfortunately it’s all too easy to miss payments despite your best intentions. For example, you might miss payments when you have other financial obligations, or because of factors outside of your control like losing your job.

If you’re struggling with child support payments, you may be wondering if filing for bankruptcy can help. The answer yes, but not in the way you might think. You see, bankruptcy won’t generally relieve a parent of paying child support. However, there are several ways that filing for bankruptcy can help your financial situation and make paying child support much easier.

Bankruptcy and child support

Child support payments generally cannot be discharged through bankruptcy. But bankruptcy can discharge other debts like medical bills and credit card debt. Often, lightening the load of other financial obligations is all a person needs to make child support payments more manageable.

Bankruptcy and past-due child support

If you’ve fallen behind on payments, past due child support can quickly turn into an overwhelming amount. Luckily, bankruptcy offers you the opportunity to catch up on past-due child support over a longer period of time, and at an affordable rate. This can be extremely helpful, as it can prevent you from being sent to jail for nonpayment or having a much larger amount forcefully taken from your wages.

Your child won’t be supported if you’re incarcerated due to nonpayment. But they will be if you get on top of your debt and catch up on child support through Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

How Chapter 13 bankruptcy can help

Though bankruptcy does not allow you to modify your existing child support payment amount, it can be included in a Chapter 13 repayment plan. If you’re behind on child support payments, a Chapter 13 allows you to catch up, as long as you continue to keep up with your ongoing child support payments.

Contact a child support lawyer TN trusts for a FREE consultation today

If you are struggling to pay child support and are considering bankruptcy, you need to speak with an experienced child support lawyer TN trusts. Contact us online or give us a call at (901) 327-2100 for a FREE consultation. We will discuss your options and come up with a plan for your specific situation.

Although bankruptcy can’t wipe out child support obligations, it is a powerful debt-reducing tool  that will make paying child support much easier. Call us today. We’re here to help you and your family get back to a stress free way of life.