Child support is a matter that is taken very seriously. If you fail to comply with the order and default on your payments, it will negatively impact your credit. When child support arrears are unpaid for 180 days or more, they will appear on your credit report as a separate collection account. Ultimately, the best way to avoid this is to always make your payments on time. If you can no longer fulfill your child support obligations, you can petition the court to have it modified. However, you should never simply stop making payments.
Removing Child Support Arrears from Your Credit Report
When you miss a child support payment, the late payment will be reported to credit bureaus and can potentially remain on your credit report for several years. Paying off late child support will not remove the negative mark from your credit report, but it can improve your credit score since it will be marked on your reports as paid off in full.
Accurate information cannot be removed from your credit report. That said, if you paid off your late child support payments and it is still turning up on your credit report, marked as delinquent, you can dispute it with credit bureaus. Although child support collections agencies track and collect payments, they can sometimes neglect to properly report payments.
Here are the steps you should take to remove child support arrears from your credit report:
- Obtain proof that the account was paid off. If you do not have receipts of your payments, request a report from your child support collections agency.
- File a dispute with the credit bureaus. They will have 30 days to investigate the claim. If your dispute results in the changes you are seeking, you will receive a free and updated copy.
If you continue to make late payments, they will show up on your credit report, so it is crucial to keep up with your payments.
Speak to an Experienced Child Support Attorney About Your Case Today!
If you are struggling to make child support payments and need to have it modified, the skilled legal team at The Virga Law Firm, P.A. can guide you through it. With our team on your side, you can feel confident that you will receive the best possible outcome for your case.
Reach out to our law firm today at (800) 822-5170 to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys to get started.