Note: The DearEsq free 'ask a lawyer' site is offered as a free informational service to the public and is not intended as legal advice. Laws vary from state-to-state, and in addition every situation is unique, and relevant facts may not be known. The answer to the question posed below may not apply to in your state or to your situation. For legal advice in your state and your situation you should consult with an attorney in your state who is familiar with the rules and laws in your state.
“My Wife and I reside in West Virginia. We recently found out that her ex husband who lives in New Jersey put in a child support order. We were unaware of any court dates or judgements until recently. We are presently looking to purchase a home. Can a lien be put on the home for unpaid child support. Keep in mind he lives in NJ and we live in WV and were never notified of any court proceedings.”
While it is true that because there are two states involved it may take longer, eventually, if the matter is not addressed, you may end up having a judgement entered against you and, yes, they could conceivably put a lien on your home in the amount of the judgement. Perhaps more urgently, they could in theory enter negative information on your credit report – that could happen much sooner – and that could also jeopardize your effort to buy a home. The bottom line is that you need to talk with an attorney in New Jersey, who can address the issues such as that you were never served with notice of the court dates (which hopefully will stall them entering anything on your credit report), and who can also determine what amount the child support *should* be, if any, which is likely to be a very different amount than what they will come up with on their own in New Jersey, without input from you.
