61 Individuals Arrested by New Jersey Authorities for Overdue Child Support Obligations

Tough economic times means it's difficult for some individuals to meet their court-ordered support obligations. That doesn't mean New Jersey's courts take a lax attitude to enforcement. Quite the opposite! The Camden County Sheriff's Office has announced its participation in a successful statewide child support sweep that resulted in 61 arrests: The Camden County Sheriff's Office participated in a statewide sweep to pick up child support offenders and other individuals with active warrants last week. This operation captured 61 individuals with 87 active warrants out for their arrest and more than $1.54 million on warrants owed at the time of the arrest. “These operations send a message in Camden County that you will not skip out on your obligation to your children,” Sheriff Chuck Billingham said in a statement. “These arrests let everyone know that we mean business during these sweeps and skipping on your child support payment is no joke.” In New Jersey, warrants may be issued for overdue child support when the non-custodial parent fails to appear for a noticed court date or, alternatively, fails to comply with court support orders. An arrest could result in jail time, either for a fixed period or until the incarcerated child support debtor comes up with a requisite amount to pay towards arrears that is set by a judge. “The statewide sweeps have an impact,” Sheriff Billingham continued. “After bringing a busload of dead beat dads to the jail for processing these individuals know that they can't run or hide from supporting their family.” Don't wait until your child support obligation results in an arrest. If you are unable to manage your current child support obligation due to unemployment or some other significant circumstances affecting your ability to pay, then a motion could be filed on your behalf to reduce your obligation to a more manageable amount and establish an arrears payment so that you can begin to pay down what you already owe. You may also want to consider seeking a different mode of remitting child support. Experienced assistance is a quick phone call or email away. If you have any questions regarding an outstanding child support arrearage or child support generally, please don't hesitate to contact us online today or call (856) 546-1350 for a confidential consultation with one of our family court attorneys.