I paid child support in cash. Can I prove it?

On Behalf of Godley Law Firm |

Feb 10, 2023

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Child Custody

Every parent has a responsibility to care and provide for their child until they turn 18. If the couple splits and the matter is brought up before the court, a formula is used to determine what the non-custodial parent will pay to the custodial parent in child support.

If you are ordered to pay child support in Louisiana, you are probably curious to know how you are going to fulfill this obligation. This is especially important if the court hasn’t specified the child support payment method in the support order.

What Louisiana law says about child support payment methods

In Louisiana, you can pay child support online, using a money order or cashier’s check or through direct transfer. For most divorced parents, paying child support in cash may seem convenient. However, this can cause problems down the road, especially if there is no record of payments.

So what happens if the receiving parent disputes cash payments?

If you’ve made child support payments in cash, all hope is not lost if the other parent claims non-payment. However, you will have to do a little homework as long as you have been diligent with your record-keeping. Here are a few steps you can take to prove disputed child support payments:

• Obtain copies of transactions that correspond with the payments you made. If you made bank transfers to the other parent’s account with the narration “child support payment for, say, February 2023” indicated, you can show that payment was specifically intended for child support.
• Petition the court to subpoena the receiving parent’s bank records. This way, you will be able to prove that you actually transferred funds to the receiving parent’s account.

Whether or not you can pay child support in cash depends on the circumstances of your case. Find out how you can safeguard your rights when litigating a disputed child support payment.