In an effort to facilitate collection of support arrears, the General Assembly has created a few extra steps for lawyers to follow prior to disbursing monetary awards to their clients or to pro se litigants. Practitioners need to be aware of the new duties placed upon them, their clients and paying agents, to ensure compliance with the new statute.
Effective Sept. 5, all monetary awards in excess of $5,000 are subject to a lien, created by operation of law, in an amount equal to overdue child support. All recipients of monetary awards must provide to his or her attorney a sworn statement, subject to 18 Pa.C.S.A. Section 4904, including his or her full name, mailing address, date of birth and Social Security number along with written documentation of arrears, or lack thereof. As a practical matter, the recipient’s attorney can prepare a form containing the required information, including standard verification language, for the client to sign.
