Child Support and Visitation

Child support and visitation are independent rights and obligations. If a parent is not receiving child support, the remedy for that parent is to go to court (or activate a wage withholding order) to collect child support. The parent who is supposed to receive child support may not deny visitation or contact with the child because support was not paid.

Similarly, if visitation or contact with the child is blocked by the custodial parent, the legal remedy for the noncustodial parent is to go to court to obtain an order enforcing visitation. The noncustodial parent may not cut off or reduce child support because the custodial parent interfered with visitation.