Illinois Can Suspend Your Driver's License for Missed Child Support

 Posted on May 07, 2019 in Child Support

The continued payment of child support is a serious matter in Illinois. Your co-parent can take you to a family court to enforce your child support agreement if you miss payments. A court that finds you in contempt of your child support agreement can use wage garnishment or the seizure of other property or funds in order to repay the money that you owe. As further punishment for your lack of payment, Illinois can suspend your driver’s license until you pay the child support in full.

Suspension Policy

Both Illinois courts and the Department of Child and Family Services have the authority to request your driver’s license suspension if you have not made any child support payments for at least 90 days. In either case, the Illinois Secretary of State’s office receives the request and will notify you of your pending suspension, to start in 60 days. At that point, you have two options:

• You can repay your child support in full, which will cancel the suspension; or
• You can attend a Secretary of State’s hearing on your suspension.

The hearing will determine whether to allow your driver’s license to be suspended and whether to give you limited driving privileges. The suspension can last indefinitely until you have fulfilled your child support obligation. To reinstate your driving privileges, you will need another hearing with the Secretary of State’s office to prove that you are in good standing with your child support payments.

Restricted Driving Permit

Losing your driving privileges is understandably concerning if you rely on driving to perform necessary tasks, such as going to work. How are you supposed to repay child support if you lose your job because you can no longer drive? During your hearing on your driver’s license suspension, you can request a restricted driving permit to allow you to drive for work, medical appointments or other specified reasons. To receive a restricted driving permit, you must prove that:

• Being unable to drive creates a hardship for you; and
• You are working towards repaying your missed child support.

Contact a St. Charles Divorce Attorney

Some co-parents struggle to afford child support after divorce because they do not have the necessary income to make the required payments. Others may refuse to pay because they believe their payments are inequitable. However, ignoring your court-ordered child support payments leaves you vulnerable to legal punishment. A Kane County divorce lawyer at Goostree Law Group can help you determine how you can modify your child support agreement to make it more affordable. To schedule a free consultation, call 630-584-4800.

Source:

https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/deadbeats.html