When you got divorced in Georgia, you were ordered to pay child support. This was to help the other parent cover the costs of raising the child. You did share custody, but they didn’t live with you as often and you earned more money, so it made sense for you to pay support, and you didn’t mind. You made those payments every month.
Lately, though, your ex has been causing some problems in your relationship with your child. Maybe they’re not enforcing discipline that complies with the parenting agreement. Maybe they’re “forgetting” to drop the children off for visitation or custody exchanges. If they do not cooperate and you feel like you’ve been wronged, can you start withholding that support?
You should never withhold child support
Quite simply, you never want to withhold child support for any reason, no matter how valid you feel like it may be. You are not allowed to modify the total to be paid to your ex. The only person who can do this is a judge. They could remove the payments or grant you a modification. But you have to keep making those payments as ordered until that modification goes through or until it is denied. You can never alter those payments on your own, or you have been broken the law by breaching that child support order.
If you are in a complicated situation with your former spouse after your divorce, it’s important to consider all of your legal options rather than ever taking anything into your own hands.