Section 5 of the Family Responsibility and Support Arrears Enforcement Act gives FRO the authority to “enforce support orders where the support order and the related support deduction order, if any, are filed in the office and to pay the amounts collected to the person to whom they are owed.”

These enforcement powers include the following:

• garnishing wages;
• garnishing government benefits;
• suspending a Driver’s License and Passport;
• Issuing a writ for the seizure and sale of the Payor’s owned property;
• Reporting the Payor to any professional organizations to which they belong;
• Seizing lottery winnings;
• Reporting the Payor to the credit bureau; and
• imposing jail time.

FRO can only enforce support payments if they are outlined in a Court Order or in an enforceable Separation Agreement. FRO does not make determinations on the amount of support owed. Therefore, the amount of support must already be quantified prior to filing with FRO.

If there is already a written Separation Agreement or other enforceable written Agreement, it must be filed with FRO because FRO cannot automatically enforce it. Only once the Agreement has been properly filed with the Courts and then subsequently sent to FRO, will FRO enforce the support payments.

For more information on enforcing child or spousal support payments, contact Langer Law at (647) 926-4704. With both all-inclusive and unbundled legal services, Langer Law can assist with finding a resolution that makes sense for you.

This blog is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Results of cases described on this website may not be typical and are not guaranteed. The accuracy of the blog posts is not guaranteed. Contacting Langer Law or using this website does not create a lawyer-client relationship.

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