Income Withholding

• If you work in the state of Kentucky and you're not paying your child support, the Division of Child Support will ask a judge to issue an income withholding order so it can collect your support. Your employer must take a percentage of each of your paychecks for child support and send it to the division. If you haven't been paying, the amount withheld is usually your base child support amount plus a little extra toward your arrears, or past due payments. If you're collecting unemployment worker's compensation benefits, an income withholding order applies to this income too.
  
  

License Revocation

• If the division isn't able to withhold support from your income, it will penalize you for non-payment by suspending or revoking any licenses you might hold. These can include your driver's license and even a professional license you need to be able to work, such as if you're a Realtor. It can also include sporting licenses.
  
  

Interception of "Windfalls"

• The Kentucky Division of Child Support has the authority to intercept any large sums of money you expect to receive and apply the funds to your child support obligation if you're behind. You could lose your state or federal tax refund. If you win money in the state lottery, the government will deduct your child support from your winnings before you receive the money.
  
  

Liens Against Property

• As a last resort, if the Division of Child Support can't collect from you in any other way, it will seize or place liens against property you own. For example, if you own your car and there's no loan encumbering it, the division can take it and sell it to fulfill your child support obligation. If you own your home, the division can put a lien against it, preventing you from selling it or taking a loan against the property until your child support debt is satisfied.
  
  

Judgments

• The Kentucky Division of Child Support and your child's father have the right to convert your past due child support into a judgment against you. If this happens, the judgment will accrue 12 percent interest until you pay it off. However, the division can't charge interest on past due support unless and until a judgment is taken against you.
  
  

Tips

• Collection efforts in Kentucky generally begin with a court appearance in which you have an opportunity to plead your case before a judge. If you haven't paid your support because of economic hardship, such as job loss, take all documentation of that event to court to show the judge. If you fail to appear in court, the judge can issue a warrant for your arrest. It's better to deal with your arrears than avoid them. Judges are more lenient about penalties if you at least attempt to pay what you owe. If you can't afford to make full child support payments, make at least a portion of them. You can also file a motion with the court, asking that the amount of your support be modified because of your changed financial circumstances.