South Dakota Looking into Increase in Unpaid Child Support

State officials in South Dakota are investigating the dramatic increase in unpaid child support over the past two years. The figure has increased by $20 million and does not appear to be slowing down any time soon. According to the Department of Social Services, parents in South Dakota owe $138,125,329. This is the final figure as of fiscal year 2011. $20 million of that came just from the last two years alone.

This is even more surprising considering the fact that South Dakota has one of the nation's highest rates of collecting child support payments. This does not necessarily mean that more parents are becoming negligent in making their payments. Instead, the workload of the Division of Child Support in South Dakota has increased drastically. In just a few years it went from 37,249 cases to $41,581 active child support cases. Are you having trouble getting child support from your former spouse/partner? If so, take the time to consult a family lawyer in your area.