Book Opener

Enforcement A legal order for child supportis necessary to assure enforcement ofchild support. The legal order can be obtainedfrom a judge, or in some courts, from an administrativehearing officer. The supportorder must follow the state guidelines previouslymentioned.The Uniform Interstate Family SupportAct (UIFSA) allows support orders of onestate to be enforced in every state. The actalso provides for the registration of supportorders in different states so that people whodo not pay can be found more easily. Out-ofstateemployers can withhold support paymentsfrom an employee’s paycheck for childsupport. Federal and state income tax refundscan also be sidetracked to pay for support, andliens can be placed on out-of-state real estate.Passports may also be denied to enforce childsupport orders.CHILD SUPPORTStates are required to adopt child support guidelinesthat take into consideration all earning and incomeof the absent parent. How should parents shareresponsibility for supporting their children?Reviewing What You Learned1. What factors are taken into considerationwhen determining the amount of alimony tobe awarded?2. Explain the equitable distribution laws.3. Describe the difference between sole andjoint custody.Critical Thinking ActivityEnforcement What do you think might happenif the Uniform Reciprocal EnforcementSupport Act were not enforced in all states?Legal Skills in ActionAsset Distribution Milka and Marvin aredivorcing after 25 years of marriage. Togetherthey own a home worth $125,000, furnitureworth $56,500, and two cars worth $22,300,and they have approximately $45,630 in cash.Based on the contributions of each spouse tothe marriage, the judge has ruled that Milkawill receive 66.6 percent of their total assets.What is the dollar value of Milka’s distribution?Chapter 32: Divorce and Its Legal Consequences 705