In Georgia, as well as in several other states, one way a state can enforce a court's directing a non-custodial parent to pay child support is to incarcerate that non-custodial parent for failure to pay. In fact, not only can states and courts enforce child support order by jailing the offending non-custodial parent, but the Federal government may also levy criminal charges against a non-custodial parent who fails to pay child support.
Although incarceration is an available remedy for the failure of a non-custodial parent to pay child support, is it appropriate, and is it effective? In a recent article published by the The New York Times, many argue that although the "threat of jail [is] considered an effective incentive for people who are able but unwilling to pay," sending non-custodial parents who are simply unable to pay to jail defeats the purpose.
Those who adopt this argument often rely on the fact that a non-custodial parent cannot pay child support while incarcerated and may lose his or her job as a result of that incarceration. Thus, this remedy is self-defeating. Those who advance this argument also contend that the reason many non-custodial parents find themselves in a situation where they are unable to pay child support is because the original child support orders obligated them to pay more than they were financial able to pay in the first place.
Although these arguments are sound, and may be applicable in some situations, there are many situations where a non-custodial parent, despite his or her ability to pay, simply refuses to do so. If that parent takes active measures to avoid paying child support, the question then is what should the court or the state do to ensure the best interest of the children effected are served. Although it may seem unsavory, the threat of jail is often a very effective tool to ensure that some non-custodial parents comply with their child support obligation.
Please note thought that if you are a non-custodial parent whose circumstances have changed, leaving you unable to pay child support as ordered by the court, there are steps you can take to reduce your child support obligation. One of those steps is seeking a downward modification of child support. For more information on who is eligible for such modifications and how to go about obtaining one, see our articles on child support and child support modification.