Enforcing Child Support in Fort Worth, TX

The check was supposed to arrive on the first. It did not. You covered it again because your kids still need to eat, and the electricity bill doesn’t care whether your co-parent followed through. But you are starting to wonder how long you can keep this up, and whether there’s anything you can do about it.

There is. Texas has real enforcement tools, and Fort Worth courts take unpaid child support seriously. Let’s review what happens when child support goes unpaid in Tarrant County, who can help you enforce the order, and when it makes sense to bring in a child support attorney in Fort Worth.

What Happens When Child Support Isn’t Paid in Tarrant County?

A child support order is a court order. Nonpayment is not a civil dispute between two parents. It violates a Tarrant County court’s directive, and that distinction matters. Courts have the authority to enforce their own orders, and they use it.

Unpaid child support in Texas accumulates as arrears. Interest accrues on past-due amounts at a statutory rate, which means the longer a co-parent waits to pay, the more they owe. That debt does not disappear. It does not get forgiven when circumstances change. It follows the non-paying parent until it is satisfied, and Texas law gives custodial parents multiple avenues to collect it.

First, you do not have to wait for your co-parent to decide they feel like paying. You have options, and several of them do not require you to go back to court on your own. 

Texas Attorney General’s Office: Your Enforcement Partner

The Texas Office of the Attorney General operates a child support enforcement program available to custodial parents at no cost. This is a meaningful resource, and many Fort Worth parents do not use it simply because they do not know it exists.

Once you open a case with the OAG, the office can take several actions on your behalf. Wage withholding is one of the most effective. The OAG can direct the non-paying parent’s employer to deduct child support directly from each paycheck before the parent even sees the money. This removes the payment from the co-parent’s control entirely, which is often what it takes to get consistent compliance.

The OAG can also intercept tax refunds and apply them to child support arrears. If your co-parent receives a federal or state tax refund while they owe unpaid child support in Tarrant County, that refund can be redirected to satisfy the debt. Lottery winnings and certain other unexpected financial windfalls are subject to the same interception.

License suspension is another tool in the OAG’s toolkit. A non-paying parent who falls significantly behind on child support can have their driver’s license, professional licenses, and even hunting and fishing licenses suspended. For many people, the threat of losing their ability to drive to work is a more immediate motivator than the abstract idea of a court order they have been ignoring.

The OAG can also report unpaid child support cases to credit bureaus, freeze the non-paying parent’s bank accounts, and place liens on property they own. These tools collectively make it very difficult for a parent to simply ignore their obligations and move on with their life.

How Fort Worth Courts Handle Child Support Contempt

When a co-parent has the ability to pay and simply refuses to, the most direct legal remedy is a motion for contempt of court. This is a formal filing with the Tarrant County family court asking a judge to hold the non-paying parent in contempt for violating the support order.

Contempt of court in child support proceedings in Texas carries real consequences. A Tarrant County judge can order the non-paying parent to pay the arrears, cover your attorney’s fees, and serve time in county jail. 

Jail is typically a last resort, but it is available, and courts use it in cases involving willful, repeated nonpayment. The contempt process also creates a formal record of violations that can be relevant to future custody proceedings.

To prevail on a contempt motion, you generally need to show that:

• A valid order exists
• The other parent had the ability to comply, and they failed to do so

Documentation matters here. Payment records, communication threads where the other parent acknowledged the debt, and evidence of their income and assets all strengthen the case. Coming into court with organized documentation versus showing up with a verbal account of what happened is a significant difference in how the case unfolds.

One important limitation: contempt enforcement in Texas has a statute of limitations. A parent generally cannot be held in criminal contempt for a violation that is more than six months old, though civil enforcement of arrears carries a much longer window. This is one more reason that addressing unpaid child support cases sooner rather than later is the smarter move.

Other Enforcement Tools Available in Texas

Beyond contempt and the OAG’s administrative tools, there are additional enforcement mechanisms available in Fort Worth that are worth knowing about.

Property liens are one. If the non-paying parent owns real estate in Tarrant County, a lien can be placed against that property to secure the child support debt. They cannot sell or refinance the property without satisfying the lien. For a parent who owns a home or investment property, this is a meaningful lever.

Bank account seizure is another. Once a court authorizes it, funds in the non-paying parent’s accounts can be frozen and applied to the child support balance. This works best when the non-paying parent has identifiable accounts with accessible funds.

Passport denial is an option at the federal level. A parent who owes more than $2,500 in past-due child support can be denied a U.S. passport. If your co-parent travels internationally for work or personal reasons, this can create significant pressure to pay.

Criminal prosecution is the most serious consequence. In cases involving substantial and willful nonpayment, the Texas Attorney General’s office can pursue criminal charges. A conviction for criminal child support enforcement violations in Texas can result in fines and imprisonment. This is not a routine outcome, but it is a real one for parents who persistently refuse to pay.

For a fuller picture of how to handle a co-parent who owes back child support, Nilsson Legal Group is happy to schedule a consultation to review both formal and informal approaches and determine which is the right option for you.

When to Call a Fort Worth Attorney About Unpaid Support

Call an attorney if your co-parent is self-employed or has variable income that makes wage withholding difficult. The OAG’s tools are most effective against salaried employees. A parent who runs a cash business, works as a contractor, or moves frequently is harder to collect from without an active legal strategy.

Call an attorney if there are significant assets involved. Liens on real estate, seizure of investment accounts, or enforcement against a business interest require legal filings and court involvement that go beyond standard OAG services.

Call an attorney if your co-parent has moved out of state. Interstate enforcement of child support orders is governed by a separate federal law and requires coordination between states. An experienced Fort Worth divorce attorney understands how to pursue a non-paying parent who is no longer in Texas.

Most importantly, call an attorney if your child’s financial stability is genuinely at risk right now. Child custody and child support are connected issues in Tarrant County courts, and an attorney who knows both can help you pursue enforcement in a way that also protects your broader parenting situation.

Enforcing Child Support With Nilsson Legal Group

A child support order is not a suggestion. It is enforceable, and Texas has more tools to enforce it than most custodial parents realize. 

The key is knowing which tools fit your situation and how to deploy them effectively. That’s where we step in.

Nilsson Legal Group has helped Tarrant County parents enforce child support orders since 2013. Spencer Nilsson and his team offer free consultations for custodial parents who need to understand their options and get payments moving again.

Need help enforcing child support? Schedule your consultation today!