If you are required to make child support payments, you may find yourself unable to fulfill your obligations for any number of reasons. For example, you may have suffered an unexpected medical problem or recently lost your job. In Boston, Massachusetts, the consequences associated with missing child support payments can be very damaging. While some people focus on very serious matters, such as being taken into custody, unpaid child support can also result in interest and other types of financial penalties.

According to the Department of Revenue, you may be charged interest on back child support if you have more than $500 worth of unpaid child support. Since 2010, the DOR has been charging interest on unpaid child support at a rate of 0.5 percent each month. Furthermore, state residents are also charged a 0.5 percent financial penalty for every month. However, you may not have to pay interest on past due child support if you are unable to work because of a medical problem, receive a certain type of financial assistance from the government or have a significant financial hardship, among other reasons.

If you have found yourself in this position, you should try to address the child support you owe as soon as you can. In fact, you can stop financial penalties and interest from accumulating on any months that you have made your minimum payments.

This post was compiled to provide insight on the financial penalties associated with unpaid child support and should not be taken as a substitute to legal advice.