Child-Support Recovery Laws Clash in N.J.

New Jersey state law takes precedence over the federal consumer protection act that limits how much of a judgment can be seized to pay back child support, an appellate court ruled this week. The federal Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA) sets maximum amounts that can be deducted from a consumers' earnings to reimburse unpaid child support. New Jersey law, however, sets stricter guidelines that allows a higher amount to be withheld from earnings, including workers' compensation benefits. The appeals ruling came in the case of Ricardo DeJesus, who owed nearly $16,000 in unpaid child suppo...