Past Due Support

Uncollected Support on the Rise

The past due support amount for child support cases has reached $90 billion. That is more than twice as much as it was only five years ago. Part of this inflation could be due to the number of broken households in the United States.

Fifty years ago divorce wasn't nearly as commonplace as it is today. The emphasis on marriage has changed while the harmful effects of divorce on children have drastically increased. One of the many downfalls to divorce is the number of custody battles and child support cases filed in the U.S. each year.

Past Due Support Laws

The statute of limitations and age of emancipation are two factors that may play into your claim for past due support. These laws are different for each state so it is important to do your research to find out how long your claim is valid in your state of residence. The following example is based on the laws in the state of Georgia.

In Georgia, the age of emancipation is 18. That means that once your child has turned 18 you are no longer eligible to collect child support on behalf of your son or daughter. If your claim was filed prior to 1997, you only seven years to collect your child support money. Any claims filed after that year have no limitations. This means you could collect past due child support even after your kids have turned 18.