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Getting a divorce as a parent can be overwhelming, especially for Louisiana parents who end up with primary custody of their children. Raising children on a single income is certainly a difficult task. Many of these parents rely on child support payments from their ex-spouses to make up any shortfalls in their children’s financial security. Unfortunately, that child support does not always come through.

Most parents — both those receiving and those paying — understand just how important child support is. Around 40% of those ordered to pay support do so regularly and on time. While this might strike most people as a good thing, they might be ignoring the other side of the equation.

Approximately 60% of all child support accounts are in arrears. This means that the parent who is supposed to be paying is not doing so regularly, on time or at all. Most parents never end up receiving the court-ordered amount to which they are entitled. If parents are counting on this money before it hits their bank account, they could end up short at the end of the month.

A child’s financial security is nothing to play with. If one parent is not meeting his or her obligations according to their child support order, the other parent may want to consider heading to court. Louisiana parents who have not received child support can ask for a current order to be enforced, which can help them recover some of what they are owed. On the other hand, parents who are struggling to pay may want to consider asking a judge to modify their agreement so that it reflects what they are actually able to pay.