Several pieces
of legislation intended to strengthen child support payment laws have been
signed into law, State Senator Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac)
reported.
The Governor has
recently signed two bills that address payment and interest on child support
obligations, including legislation that clarifies when interest on child support
should begin to accrue on unpaid child support obligations. Senator Rutherford
explained that this is an issue that the court system has
found difficult to deal with, and he anticipates the new law will take great
strides toward addressing the issue.
"Often when it
seems most appropriate to apply interest—such as when child support payments
have gone unpaid for extensive periods of time—it is hardest to calculate the
amount of interest due. Previously the courts had little guidance on when to
apply interest on the late payments. This law clarifies that point by applying
interest to an unpaid child support balance at the end of each month—as opposed
to the previous deadline of 30 days, which created some confusion within the
system," explained Rutherford.
Another new law
creates new standards with regards to the notification of child support
obligations. Under the parameters of the law, the parent or person responsible
for payment will be served notice of this responsibility by certified mail with
a return receipt request, or will be served by a person who is licensed or
registered as a private detective, or works as an employee within a private
detective agency.
"This is just one
more way to ensure that the people responsible for making child support payments
are being notified of their financial obligations," Rutherford said. "Hopefully
making the extra effort to inform these individuals of this responsibility will
encourage more people to make their child support payments and make them on
time."
Both of these laws
will go into effect on January 1,
2006