Lien

Please note that the legal information presented on this page is written for those living in the state of Illinois.

What Does it Mean?

A lien placed on a bank account prevents a person from withdrawing or spending funds from that account. The lien could affect part of or all funds in the account.

Things You Should Know

A lien can be placed on your bank account as part of a child support enforcement penalty. However, if you believe you have not fallen behind on your child support payments, you may be able to appeal the lien.

If your bank account ONLY has SSI disability payments, a lien CANNOT be placed on that bank account for failing to pay child support

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Past-Due Cash Medical Support

If you have been ordered to pay cash medical support and you fail to make a payment on time, the amount that was owed will become past-due cash medical support. Unless the past-due cash medical support is paid off, the next child support order you receive will show that you owe both the current cash medical support payments plus the past-due cash m

Past-Due Alimony

If you have been ordered to pay maintenance (alimony) and you fail to make an alimony payment on time, the amount that was owed will become past-due maintenance. Unless the past-due maintenance is paid off, the next child support order you receive will show that you owe both the current alimony payments plus the past-due alimony. In Illinois, past

Past-Due Child Support (Arrears)

If you have been ordered to pay child support, and you fail to make a child support payment on time, the amount that was owed will become past-due child support (arrears). Unless the past-due child support is paid off, the next child support order you receive will show that you owe both the current child support payments plus the amount that is pas

IV-D Program

The IV-D program, otherwise known as child support enforcement services, is a social service program run by the Illinois Department of Family Services (HFS).Parents enrolled in the IV-D program are given free assistance with: establishing a parent's legal paternity, issuing an administrative child support order, and/or enforcing a

Enforcing a Child Support Order

Enforcing a child support order involves additional measures taken or penalties placed to ensure that the non-custodial parent of a child pays child support. Generally speaking, enforcement is usually reserved for when a non-custodial parent has repeatedly failed to make payments on time. Some enforcement penalties are more severe than others. Pena

Written Notice of Sanction

If you have received a sanction for failing to follow a court order or as the result of child support enforcement, you are required to be personally served written notice of the sanction. If you have received a sanction – such as a lien placed on your bank account, or a suspension of your driver's license – and you were NOT personally served writ

Contempt of Court

Being held in contempt of court is typically the result of a failure to follow the directions of a court order. It may also be the result of child support enforcement. If you are held in contempt or court, you may be subject to certain penalties, such as a fine or a short period of incarceration.

Driver's License Suspension

If you have failed to make child support payments on time, your driver's license can be suspended as part of a child support enforcement penalty. IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT A DRIVER'S LICENSE SUSPENSION: If you believe that you have not fallen behind on your child support payments, you may be able to contest the suspension If you cannot work

Project Clean Slate

Project Clean Slate is a program offered by the Department of Family Services (HFS) to help qualifying non-custodial parents pay off past-due child support (arrears).You may qualify to have all past-due child support owed to the state of Illinois erased if you can provide proof that one of the following circumstances prevented you from paying child

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Definitions

Past-Due Child Support (Arrears)

Contempt of Court

Driver's License Suspension

Past-Due Alimony

IV-D Program

Written Notice of Sanction

Enforcing a Child Support Order

Past-Due Cash Medical Support

Project Clean Slate

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Articles

How To Check Your Child Support Balance

Child support payments made towards a legally-binding child support order are generally handled by the Illinois State's Disbursement Unit (SDU). This state agency processes child support payments made by one parent, and then distributes that payment to the other parent. In this article, we discuss how you can check your child support balance. Your

Paying Child Support Via Check or Money Order

A child support order is a legally-binding court order requiring one parent to make child support payments to another parent. Child support orders may specify how a parent must make child support payments. Sometimes, child support payments are taken directly from a parent's paycheck through a notice of income withholding. Other times, parents must

Child Support Owed to a Parent vs. the State

Child support refers to cash payments made by one parent of a child to the other. These payments are meant to support the cost of raising and caring for a minor child. However, the amount a parent owes for a child support order may not be owed entirely to the child's other parent. In some cases, child support payment may also be owed to the state o

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How To Check Your Child Support Balance

Paying Child Support Via Check or Money Order

Child Support Owed to a Parent vs. the State

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