What Happens To Child Support If You Win The Lottery In Idaho?

There has been a lot of talk about the Mega Millions and Powerball with both jackpots recently exceeding a whopping billion dollars.

But, what happens if you win the lottery and don't have all of your affairs in order? We know what you're thinking: "That's why we play the lottery in the first place!"

While you might be right, there are a few things you might want to know so you don't get caught off guard when you take home the jackpot.

You'll need to pay taxes... no, not those taxes

Most people are aware that you have to pay taxes on your lottery winnings. What some people don't know, however, is that if you have unpaid taxes, your lottery winnings are subject to be garnished to pay that off.

It doesn't stop there either! As you might have guessed from the title, you're subject to pay any child support that you might owe.

According to Title 67, Chapter 74 of Idaho legislation:

A prize is subject to garnishment and recovery for unpaid taxes, child or spousal support or public assistance benefits paid and recoverable by the state or any county, or by a person pursuant to a judgment and execution under an order of the court.

That's right - if you owe your child AND spouse money, they are entitled to some of those lottery winnings. It makes sense when you think about it because how awkward would it be if that law wasn't in place?

Imagine seeing someone who owes you spousal or child support in a photo with their huge lottery check. It just isn't right, but thankfully there's a system in place to ensure that if someone wins, everyone (including the government) they owe, also wins.