I have been paying child support to my ex wife. I recently lost my job and I am behind on payments, what happens now?

She can’t necessarily stop your visitations if they are court imposed, or you have joint custody of the children. If the divorce decree stipulations a minimum number of hours or visits, she would be in violation of that order if she prevented you from seeing the children.  However, if she was awarded sole custody, and has an informal agreement with you, it is possible that she could withhold your visitation.

In terms of your child support payments, it may be wise to petition the court if you’ve had substantial financial circumstances change since the last order given. Typically, events like being laid off or salary reductions greater than 10% can be enough of a substantial changed circumstance that would allow for a reduction in child support if warranted.