The Oklahoma Department of Human Services collected nearly $19,000 in unpaid child support from a $20 billion claim fund established by BP to compensate victims of the April 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. According to NewsOK, Child Support Services officials compiled a list of 22,000 noncustodial parents who reportedly earned income in the Gulf region and had a connection to BP.
In November, the officials issued subpoenas for each case they opened and sent those subpoenas to officials at the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. The facility contacted DHS after receiving the subpoenas and inquired about setting electronic data matches for Oklahoma and other states. The electronic list was accepted by fund administrators in February, and DHS started receiving checks in a handful of cases last month. The agency has received $18,987 to date in back child support from the spill fund.
Most states will exhaust every means possible to ensure that child support is enforced, and Colorado is no exception. If you owe back child support in Colorado, a Colorado defense attorney can advise you of the Colorado’s child support laws and your obligations under those laws. Your defense attorney will probably advise you to make payment arrangements, which is always the better alternative.
If you fail to pay your child support, the state can garnish your wages, as well as any unemployment or workers’ compensation benefits you may be receiving. You could lose your driver’s or other professional licenses you posses. You could be denied a passport if you apply for one. Tax refunds and lottery winnings can be intercepted, and you can be reported to the credit bureaus.