My ex claims to have been unemployed since July 2009, but he has started his own business from home . For the past few months he has been paying much less than what the support order stipulates and plans on continuing to pay that and thinks this should just be the new amount. He has never gone to the court to request a modification and does not plan on doing so. Is there anything I can do to ensure that he pays the full ordered amount. When I called the child support enforcement office they made it seem like there was not really anything they could do as he is either unemployed or self-employed. There is no reason that he can not find a job other than his trying to start up his own business but I don't feel our child should have to suffer while he chooses to do this. What I am wanting to know is if there is anything I can do or if it would even be worth the expense of trying to go through the through the court to enforce the support amount.

Is he paying through the state? If so then you could get him for contempt after the arrears build. And he can try to change the amount but he's going to have to explain why.

Child support enforcement can not garnish a pay check if there is no paycheck.

The court can not force him to get a job.

You can take him back to court for being behind in payments, also depending on where you live, the court can take his drivers license away, or even put him in jail.

What state is this in? Child support agencies are more active in some states then others. At the very least you should be go back to the court and ask that he be cited for contempt of court for not paying the assigned amount.