THE LONG ARM OF JUSTICE - THE POTENTIAL FOR SEIZING THE ASSETS OF CHILD-SUPPORT OBLIGORS

On. August 22, 1996 President Clinton signed H.R 3734, the Personal Re sponsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, in an ef fort to reform the nation's welfare system and improve state child sup port enforcement. Through the provisions in the bill, the federal gove rnment is requiring work in return for public assistance to American f amilies, and strengthening collection of past-due child support as a m eans of sustaining needy children. States' efforts to seize assets hel d by noncustodial parents for the payment of overdue child support hav e been enhanced under the new law. Many states have experience in vari ous forms of asset seizure for child support arrearage and officials w ill now be able to reach across state lines to seize property, garnish wages, and secure money directly from a delinquent parent's checking account located in another state. This study describes the portfolio o f asset holdings held by fathers who range from 20 to 35 years of age. While fathers who do not live with their children hold significantly less wealth than other men, a substantial proportion of fathers who do not live with their children own assets in the form of bank accounts, homes, cars, etc., which can be prioritized for collection.