Baltimore & Towson Lawyer Discusses Child Support Enforcement Administration
For those of you who are ordered to receive Child Support, your Baltimore Family Lawyer notes that Maryland's Department of Human Resources has now corrected seven out of 11 issues that were raised in an audit of the Child Support Enforcement Administration (CSEA) by the Office of Legislative Audits. The department has plans to remedy the remaining four issues by the end of April. A 2011 audit revealed that CSEA was not effectively using all of the available enforcement tools to get parents throughout the state of Maryland to pay Child Support as ordered. However, despite the positive strides that the state has made, the issues raised by the audit are not considered to be fully corrected until certified by the auditors. As a result, the department will lose out on $100,000 of its 2013 appropriation.
Among the problems identified by the audit were a failure to seize the bank accounts of parents who refused to pay Child Support as ordered, and the insufficient withholding of wages. Additionally, the audit revealed circumstances of inaccurate identification of Non-Custodial Parents, and the improper delivery of checks to deceased Custodial Parents, which were many times fraudulently cashed. Furthermore, some Baltimore contractors for the collection of Child Support had failed to abide by their contract terms, resulting in little or no enforcement efforts.
Since the Maryland CSEA is responsible not only for certain enforcement activities with regard to Child Support, but also for disbursing payments, your Baltimore Family Lawyer believes that the proper, effective, and successful operation of this state agency is essential to the financial well being of countless Maryland families. Given the enormous role that the Maryland CSEA plays in the Child Support collection and disbursement system, any movement toward a more effective system is positive news. Therefore, the Law Offices of Amar S. Weisman applaud the state for the steps that they have taken to overhaul the system and move toward the suggested reforms.
As your Baltimore Family Lawyer can attest, Enforcing Child Support Orders is not always an easy task. Fortunately, there are legal remedies that a custodial parent can seek in order to enforce a Child Support order.
Call (410) 321-4994 For a Free Consultation
Call The Law Offices of Amar S. Weisman at (410) 321-4994 to schedule a Free Consultation. The Purpose of the consultation is to determine whether you want to retain this law firm as your Baltimore County & Harford County Family Lawyer. If you do wish to proceed, then you must pay a retainer. See Our Policy on Fees and Costs. The family firm is located next to The Circuit Court for Baltimore County, at 1018 Dulaney Valley Road, Towson, MD 21204.
