Your ex was ordered to pay child support when the two of you got divorced. They also share custody of your child, but they have to pay support because there’s a vast difference in your earnings. This is done to ensure that both parents are financially helping to raise the child.
However, your ex decides that they no longer want to pay. Perhaps they don’t feel like the amount they were ordered to pay was fair. Maybe they resent having to pay you any money at all, considering the two of you got divorced. Is there ever a situation in which they can refuse to pay child support?
Refusing to pay is always prohibited
On the whole, people cannot refuse to pay child support. They have to follow the court order. Refusing to do so could result in criminal charges.
If your ex believes that the court order is unfair because the child support is an unaffordable amount, they can go to court and ask for a modification. In some cases, child support totals will be lowered, such as if your ex lost their job and their income has changed significantly.
But even if they think they have a valid reason to ask for a modification, and they believe that modification will be granted, they still cannot stop paying child support. They also can’t adjust the amount they pay, deciding on their own to pay you less than was ordered. They still have to make the full payment on time every month until the modification has been completed.
Situations like this can get very complicated, so you may need to look into the legal options at your disposal.