questions & answers

Question: My husband owes child support arrearage for his youngest daughter for the first 2 years of her life. He has had sole custoday of the child since year 2 and modified the child support to start receiving support. The mother has not paid her support in over a year and now has accumulated arrearages. What is the procedure to get the courts and/or DES to offset her arrearage balance and future support against my husband's arrearage balance? At this point in time this will cut my husbands arrearage in half.

Answer: The Department of Economic Security's Child Support Enforcement can help people in situations like this. The Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 25-503(I) state that child support payments vest (become due to the other person and enforceable by the court) on their due date.  However, DES has a Settlement Program available to help people in arrears settle their debts. To contact the Child Support Enforcement Division, call 1-800-882-4151or visit their website here. (https://www.azdes.gov/main.aspx?menu=24&id=2652)