According to the Los Angeles Times, $14 billion in child support was left unpaid to American parents in a single year. This means that one out of every three dollars that were due was not paid, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Millions of parents are awarded child support every year, but getting the child support payments is an entirely different issue. Fewer than half of eligible parents receive all of the child support that they are due. In 2011, The Current Population Survey shows that about one-fourth of all parents that were awarded child support didn't get any child support at all.

Most parents were granted support through formal legal agreements which were established by the courts or other government entities. Yet as time progresses less parents are asking for help collecting child support when they do not receive the finances that they desire. Between 1994 and 2012, the number of parents who sought help from the government fell by one-quarter. This is even though the Census Bureau shows that there has not been much of a change in the mount of parents that are getting all the money that they are owed. Scholars and advocates suspect that some parents may have given up trying to get their child support after failing to receive it for so long.

Some researchers suggest that part of the reason that less and less parents are taking legal action concerning unpaid child support, is because many single women have a hard time accessing the system. Budget cuts have strained government resources, and many of the poorer women that are seeking unpaid child support don't entirely understand how the complicated system works. Also, researchers suggest that fewer parents are asking the government to intervene in their child support matters because they are working with their ex's to determine solutions.

Some divorcees want to deal directly with their spouse, rather than work with a lawyer and try to deal indirectly. More than half of all custodial parents report that they have received some kind of help with their children other than cash. A parent may decide to pay for all of the groceries and bring them to the house, or may take the child on a shopping spree and purchase clothes for the child, instead of paying out. This could be helpful for parents that may still need financial assistance.

Some parents who are unable to afford child support can work out other arrangements. In fact, studies show that one out of nine parents who said that they were supposed to get financial support had an informal arrangement with the other parent. This is often because the other parent is not able to afford regular payments and needed to offer support through another method.

On average, parents are supposed to receive about $500 a month in support. This is typically through legal awards or informal agreements. Mothers and fathers who receive all that they are owed can normally supplement their income with one-fifth more finances due to the child support payments. Yet parents who are young and less educated are less likely to get all the child support that they want. Some families will encounter difficult financial circumstances which will require them to reduce their payments.

Reports also show that how much a parent sees his or her child has a direct effect on the amount of child support that that individual is willing to pay out. A study shows that parents who had no contact with their child only paid their child support about 31% of the time. If you have not received the financial support that you desire, then you need to contact a family attorney and insist on getting the financial compensation necessary to meet your child support needs. Hire the firm today!