California Child Support Blog
Enforcement tools. Statute citations. Real strategies that collect.
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Gig Workers and Independent Contractors: Garnishing the Payor Without a Paycheck
No employer, no problem. California reaches contractor earnings, platform payouts, and business receivables — the assignment just aims at whoever pays him instead.
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The Debtor Examination: Putting the Deadbeat Under Oath About His Money
He can dodge your calls but not a court order to appear and answer. The judgment debtor exam maps his employers, accounts, assets, and schemes — under penalty of perjury, with arrest exposure for skipping it.
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Criminal Nonsupport: When the District Attorney Enters the Chat
Willful failure to support a child is a crime in California. Prosecution is the last resort — but for the payor with means who simply refuses, Penal Code 270 changes the conversation entirely.
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Seek-Work Orders: Court-Supervised Job Hunting for the Voluntarily Idle
For the payor who simply will not work, California courts order the job search itself: documented applications, regular reporting, and contempt exposure for sitting still.
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Lottery Winnings, Casino Jackpots, and Windfalls: The Intercepts That Wait
California checks the arrears list before paying jackpots. Lottery prizes intercept automatically, casinos check support debts on big wins, and windfalls of every kind belong to the arrears first.
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Unemployment, Disability, and Workers’ Comp: Support Collects From Benefits Too
Losing a job changes the paycheck, not the obligation. California intercepts support from unemployment, state disability, and workers’ compensation — automatically when the case is positioned.
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Writs, Till Taps, and Keepers: Collecting Support From Cash Businesses
The payor who owns a cash business laughs at wage garnishment — until the sheriff stands at his register collecting every dollar that crosses it. Support judgments unlock the same tools as any creditor, with more staying power.
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Contempt of Court: When Nonpayment Becomes Jail Exposure
Contempt is the enforcement tool with teeth: each missed payment a separate count, fines and jail on the table, and attorney fees awarded against him. It is also technical — and worth doing right.
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Real Property Liens: Attaching Support Arrears to His House
Record an abstract of the support judgment and every property he owns in that county secures your arrears — silently, with interest running, until he sells, refinances, or dies.
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Credit Reporting of Support Arrears: The Score That Follows Him to Every Loan
Support arrears report to the credit bureaus like any major delinquency — sinking his applications for mortgages, car loans, and cards until the balance resolves. It is quiet pressure that compounds.
California Child Support Recovery System 