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One in three divorced parents struggles to collect child support. The family allowance funds are now responsible for recovering them.
The Family Allowance Fund (CAF) receives more than 3,000 calls a day for non-payment of alimony. Officers must attempt to convince the defaulting parent to honor their debt. “As they say, there’s love, there’s hate, and there’s money. So the three mixed together, it’s a bit complicated”comments an agent.
In case of persistent refusal to pay, the files are transferred to a collection agency. Here, more negotiation possible. The agents can directly seize the alimony on the salary of the recalcitrant parent. The CAF first investigates the income of the person who claims not to have the means to pay. If the person is deemed solvent, the forced recovery procedure is launched. In the absence of declared income, the CAF is powerless. To recover their alimony, some women have recourse to a bailiff.