| Steps
to Collect Child Support - FAQ for Custodial Parents
Am
I eligible to receive child support?
If
you're a parent, whether divorced, separated or never
married, with children to support, then you're eligible
to receive child support.
Any
parent or person with custody of a child who needs help
to establish a child support or medical support order
or to collect support payments can apply for child support
enforcement services. People who have received assistance
under programs supported by federal funding – Aid
to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Foster Care
- are automatically referred to the State child support
agency for child support enforcement services. Certain
Medicaid recipients may also be referred for enforcement
services. If you have not received assistance under such
programs, then, in addition to government services, you
have the option of hiring a private child support enforcement
agency or an attorney to collect your child support. How
do I contact my State child support agency?
The
phone number for your local government child support
office can be found in your telephone directory, usually
under the State/County social services agency. How
do I contact a local private child support enforcement
agency?
The Child
Support Enforcement Council (CSEC) is a national
association of the leading private child support enforcement
agencies. How
do I contact a local attorney specializing in child support
enforcement?
With
more than 400,000 members, the American
Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional
association in the world. Although
the process of obtaining child support can be overwhelming
at first, using this basic three step approach will help
simplify the effort.
The
three steps in the child support collection process are:
Step
One: Establishing Paternity
Step Two: Establishing the Obligation
Step Three: Enforcement of the
Child Support Order
Step
One: Establishing Paternity
If
the child was born out of wedlock, the first step is to
establish paternity - or make a legal determination of
who fathered the child. Many men will voluntarily acknowledge
paternity at the time of the child’s birth. Either
parent can request a blood test in contested paternity
cases.
What
are the benefits of establishing paternity?
Paternity
establishment can provide basic emotional, social, and
economic ties between a father and his child.
Once
paternity is established, a child gains legal rights
and privileges. Among these may be rights to inheritance,
rights to the father's medical and life insurance benefits,
and to social security and possibly veterans' benefits.
The child also has a chance to develop a relationship
with the father, and to develop a sense of identity and
connection to the "other half" of his or her
family. It may be important for the health of the child
for doctors to have knowledge of the father's medical
history. What
will the enforcement caseworker need to know to try to
establish paternity?
The
caseworker needs as much information as you can give
about the alleged father and the facts about your relationship
with him, your pregnancy, and the birth of your child.
Some of these questions may be personal, so enforcement
agencies must keep the information that you give confidential.
The
caseworker will also want to know whether he ever provided
any financial support, or in any other way acknowledged--through
letters or gifts--that the child was his. A picture of
the alleged father with the child is helpful, as well
as any information from others who could confirm your
relationship with him. What
if he denies he is the father, or says he's not sure?
Paternity
can be determined by highly accurate tests conducted
on blood or tissue samples of the man, mother and child.
Genetic test results indicate a probability of paternity
and can establish a legal presumption of paternity. These
tests have an accuracy range of up to 99 percent, the
current standard the creates the evidentiary presumption
in most courts in the nation. They can exclude a man
who is not the biological father and can also show the
likelihood of paternity if he is not excluded. Each party
in a contested paternity case must submit to genetic
tests at the request of either party or the child support
enforcement agency or if ordered by a court. If
genetic tests are necessary, who pays for them?
If
the State support enforcement agency orders the tests,
the State must pay the cost of the testing. If the father
is identified by the tests, some States will charge him
for their costs.
If
a party disputes the original test result, he or she
can pay for a second genetic test and the State must
then obtain additional testing. What
happens if I am not sure who the father is?
If
the father could be one of several men, each may be required
to take a genetic test. These tests are very accurate,
and it is almost always possible to determine who fathered
a baby and to rule out any one who did not. My
boyfriend is on a military base abroad and I am about
to have his baby. How can I establish paternity and get
an order for support?
You
can apply for child support enforcement services at your
local government child support enforcement agency. If
he is willing to sign documents to acknowledge paternity
and agree to support, then enforcement can proceed by
a income withholding order. If the man is on a naval
ship or lives on a military base abroad and will not
acknowledge paternity, it may be necessary to wait until
he returns to the United States for blood work to be
done. The
father of my child said I would never get a paternity
judgment on him because he'd just leave the State. What
happens in this case?
If
the alleged father fails to respond to a formal complaint
properly served upon him or refuses to submit to genetic
testing, a default judgment may be entered by a court.
The default judgment establishes paternity. At the same
time, a court order for support may be issued. If the
parent has disappeared, State and Federal Parent Locator
Services can be called on to help find him. States must
give full faith and credit to paternity determinations
made by other states in accordance with their laws and
regulations. I
need to establish paternity for my child, and the father
lives in another part of the country. How does this work?
The
fact that you and the alleged father live in different
States will not keep you from pursuing a paternity establishment
action. Your State may be able to claim jurisdiction
and establish paternity if the alleged father had lived
there or the child was conceived in your State. Otherwise
your State can petition the other State to establish
paternity under their laws. Often, genetic tests will
be ordered to help prove paternity. Ask your caseworker
for specific information about the laws in your State
and the State where the other parent lives. What
happens after paternity is established?
If
it becomes necessary to establish a child support order,
a child support enforcement caseworker may discuss the
child's needs with the father and what he is required
to pay for child support according to the State guidelines.
The court may also include at this time the exact terms
of custody, visitation, and other parental rights.
Return
to the Top
Step
Two: Establishing the Obligation
The
fair amount of child support that the non-custodial parent
should pay is determined according to mandatory state guidelines.
If you do not know where the non-custodial parent (NCP)
lives, your caseworker can assist you by using state and
federal locate information to try to find him or her. Once
the support order is established, it will include the amount
of money that the parent should provide on a regular bases
and will include provision for medical support. If the
parent lives in another state, the child support enforcement
agency may have to ask the state where he or she lives
to establish the order. If you do not know the location
of the NCP, if you know where and when he or she was born
and what his or her parents’ names are, your caseworker
may be able to find the Social Security number, which is
an important tool for locating someone.
How
do I obtain a support order?
To
obtain a support order, you must contact your local government
child support office. The phone number can be found in
your telephone directory, usually under the State/County
social services agency. I'm
sure the other parent is willing to pay support. Can
we make an agreement between ourselves and present it
to the court?
If
parents can cooperate and agree, all the better. You
can get help from a lawyer, mediator or family counselor.
The court's sole interest in your agreement is to see
that it is fair to all parties, that the welfare of the
children is protected, and that the agreement conforms
with the state’s mandatory child support guidelines. Are
the earnings of both parents considered in setting support
awards?
In
some State guidelines, both parents' earnings are considered
in setting the amount of the support order. Check with
your chosen enforcement agency. Laws vary from State
to State, but parents who can work out a fair support
agreement between themselves will have a better chance
of having their wishes recognized in court. Is
there a limit to the amount of money that can be taken
from my paycheck for child support?
Yes.
The amount that can be withheld from an employee's disposable
wages is limited by the Federal Consumer Credit Protection
Act (FCCPA) to 50 percent of disposable earnings if an
obligated parent has a second family and 60 percent if
there is no second family. These limits are each increased
by 5 percent (to 55% and 65%) if payments are in arrears
for a period equal to 12 weeks or more. State law may
further limit the amount that can be taken from a wage
earner's paycheck. I
can't get health insurance with my job but my ex-wife
gets good benefits where she works. Can she be required
to put the children on her insurance?
Yes.
Make sure you speak with your caseworker about this.
The child support enforcement agency must petition the
court to include medical support in any order for child
support when employment related or other group health
insurance is available to the noncustodial parent at
a reasonable cost. Court orders can also be modified
to include health care coverage. If the noncustodial
parent does not have access to health care coverage at
reasonable cost through employment, but the custodial
does, then the court may require the noncustodial parent
to pay an additional amount in support to reimburse the
custodial parent for the costs of the coverage.
If
you are not receiving cash assistance or Medicaid, the
child support enforcement agency will help you enforce
a medical support order if you want it to. If you do
not want its help, you may decline it. For people on
cash assistance, or Medicaid, the child support enforcement
agency must order the noncustodial parent to provide
health insurance, if it is available. Many States, however,
have laws requiring the inclusion of medical support
in all child support orders so whether or not the government
program is providing child support enforcement, the noncustodial
parent will be expected to pay medical support as part
of the child support obligation.
Federal
law requires States to have laws which should make medical
support enforcement easier. For example, insurers can
no longer refuse to enroll a child in a health care plan
because the parents were not married or because the child
does not live in the same household as the enrolled parent.
The law also created a tool that child support agencies
will be able to use to establish and enforce medical
support when the noncustodial parent participates in
a group health plan but does not enroll the child.
This
law provides that custodial parents can obtain information
about coverage directly from an insurer, submit claims
directly to the insurer, and be reimbursed directly by
an insurer. For specific information about these laws
in your State, contact your chosen enforcement agency.
Return
to the Top
Step
Three: Enforcement of the Child Support Order
The
government child support enforcement agency is required
to collect child support due a family no matter where the
non-custodial parent lives in the country. If the government
program is unable to secure the support, you have other
options for enforcing your support order. These options
include using a private attorney or hiring a private child
support enforcement agency.
Who
can help collect my child support?
Once
you have a support order, you have 3 options for the
collection of child support:
1. Your state or local government child support office.
2. A private child support enforcement agency.
3. A private attorney.
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The NCCSO believes
that parents should have the right to decide
how their child support case is handled. When
parents are unable to get help from the government
they should have the right to hire a private
enforcement agency or attorney if they choose.
It should ALWAYS be their decision.
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What
does the child support enforcement agency need to know?
No
matter where you start - establishing paternity, finding
a noncustodial parent, establishing or enforcing a support
order - your child support caseworker must have enough
information to pursue your case. All information you
provide will be treated in confidence. The more details
you provide, the easier it will be to process your case
and to collect child support payments for your children. What
if I don't have the noncustodial parent’s social
security number?
Your
child support caseworker has lots of ways to find the
noncustodial parent’s social security number, even
if you don’t know it. Social security numbers are
now required on applications for professional licenses,
commercial driver's licenses and marriage licenses, on
divorce records, support orders, paternity determinations
or acknowledgements, and death records.
If
none of these is available, or the SSN was not yet required
when the document was issued, the child support enforcement
office can subpoena information about bank accounts,
insurance policies, credit cards, pay slips, or income
tax returns. If you and the other parent filed a joint
Federal income tax return in the last three years, the
child support enforcement office can get the social security
number from the IRS. Your caseworker may be able to get
the SSN with at least three of the following pieces of
information: the parent's name, place of birth, date
of birth, his or her father' name, and his or her mother's
maiden name. What
documents do I need to bring to the enforcement agency?
Below
are some useful pieces of information to bring to the
enforcement agency. It is important to note that not
all of the below are required by an enforcement agency.
You should call your chosen collection agency to confirm
its requirements.
1.
Information about the noncustodial parent, including:
Physical characteristics; Name, address and social security number; Name
and address of current or recent employer; Names of friends, relatives and
organizations to which he or she might belong; and, Information about his
or her income and assets (pay slips, tax returns, bank accounts, investments,
property holdings)
2. Your children’s birth certificates
3. Your child support order
4. Your divorce degree or separation agreement
5. Records of any child support received in the past
6. Information about your income and assets The
noncustodial parent lives across the State. I can’t
afford to take the time off work or travel there for
a child support hearing. How can I get enforcement of
my child support?
Normally
local offices of the government child support enforcement
program can handle enforcement in different jurisdictions
in the same State without your having to travel outside
your own jurisdiction, and most private child support
enforcement agencies can handle cases not only in different
jurisdictions, but in different states. Ask your chosen
child support enforcement provider for details about
how enforcement would work in your case. If
paternity is established in another state, will the support
order also be entered in that State?
In
most cases, yes. Ask your caseworker or enforcement specialist
how this is done. What
if the noncustodial parent cannot be found locally?
Your
child support enforcement agency will ask the State Parent
Locator Service (SPLS) to search for the noncustodial
parent. Using the social security number, the SPLS will
check the records of State agencies such as motor vehicle
registration, unemployment insurance, income tax, and
correctional facilities. If the SPLS finds that the parent
has moved to another State, it can ask the other State
to search, or send a request to the Federal Parent Locator
Service (FPLS). What
resources does the FPLS have?
The
FPLS can search for addresses in the records of the Internal
Revenue Service, the Department of Defense, the National
Personnel Records Center, the Social Security Administration,
the Department of Veterans Affairs, and State Employment
Security Agencies. States also are required to maintain
directories of newly hired employees in the state and
to report this information to a National Directory of
New Hires within the FPLS for important data matches
in order locate noncustodial parents who owe child support. Can
my lawyer or I ask the FPLS to find an address for the
other parent?
Not
directly. However, you, your attorney or your private
child support enforcement agency can submit a request
to use the FPLS through the State child support enforcement
agency. Can
State and Federal location efforts be made at the same
time?
Yes.
For instance, in cases handled by the government program,
a search can be initiated by the State to another State
and to the FPLS at the same time. In all other cases,
the State requests information from the FPLS only. Can
enforcement agencies use the Federal income tax return
to find out where the noncustodial parent lives and what
he or she earns?
Yes.
Under certain conditions, the IRS, may disclose to the
government child support enforcement agency information
that income earners submit on IRS Form 1099. This information
is a valuable tool to help find a noncustodial parent
and determine his or her financial assets. The information
may only be used for the purpose of enforcing child support
payments.
Information
available through Form 1099 includes both earned and
unearned income, including wages, earnings on stocks
and bonds, interest from bank accounts, unemployment
compensation, capital gains, royalties and prizes, and
employer and financial institution addresses. A number
of very small businesses submit 1099 asset information
to the IRS, so this can be a good source of information.
Any information obtained from the IRS must be verified
through a second source, such as an employer or bank,
before the government child support enforcement agency
can use it. What
will happen when the caseworker has the current address
of the noncustodial parent?
Although
different enforcement agencies operate differently, typically
the caseworker will verify the home and work addresses,
then ask the noncustodial parent to come to the office
for an interview, or notify him/her that legal action
may be taken. Ask your chosen enforcement agency for
an outline of their specific procedures. The
father of my child is in the military, but I don't know
where he is stationed. Can the enforcement agency find
him?
Yes.
The enforcement agency, working through the FPLS, can
secure information about the current duty station of
a parent who is in any of the uniformed services. How
does the caseworker find out about the other parent's
income or assets?
The
government agency caseworker will make every possible
effort to identify the parent's employment, property
owned, and any other sources of income or assets. This
information must be verified before the support order
is final. In certain situations, the IRS may provide
financial information about the parent's earned and unearned
income such as interest payments and unemployment compensation.
The State child support enforcement agency now has access
to financial institution data, such as bank accounts
and credit bureau data, which may provide information
about employers and or assets. The
father of my child is in jail. Can I get support?
Probably
not. Past-due support may accumulate while the father
is in jail. But unless he has other assets, such as property
or any income such as wages from a work-release program,
it is unlikely that support can be collected while he
is in jail. Depending on State law, your support order
may be modified so that payment is deferred until he
is released and working. Is
it possible to collect the support payments from personal
property?
Yes.
Federal law requires all States to have procedures for
imposing a lien on real and personal property of a noncustodial
payment for the payment of past-due support. This lien
can be foreclosed on, forcing the noncustodial parent
to pay up the past-due support or lose the property to
cover the amounts of support past-due. Under all State
laws, the government enforcement agency can seize the
financial assets of a noncustodial parent held by financial
institutions, such as banks and mutual funds. Some States
require noncustodial parents with a poor payment history
to pledge property as a guarantee of payment. Non-payment
results in forfeiture of the property. Ask your chosen
enforcement agency for more information. I
am working with a private attorney. Can she request income
withholding for my child support payments?
Yes.
You can collect support through income withholding if
you use a private attorney or a private child support
enforcement agency rather than the local government child
support office. States must also apply withholding to
other kinds of income in addition to wages, such as bonuses,
commissions, retirement, rental or interest income, and
in some cases, workers’ compensation. Can
I have the income withholding applied to my existing
child support order?
Yes,
you can apply for income withholding through your chosen
child support enforcement agency or your attorney. Though
there are limits on how much of a person's income can
be withheld, income withholding can be used for both
ongoing support and arrearages. Ask your chosen enforcement
agency how this can be done. Can
my attorney work on my child support problem while I
am receiving services from the governement child support
program?
Yes,
your attorney can work with the government child support
program. For best results, they should coordinate their
efforts to prevent duplication of services and conflicting
enforcement decisions. The
children's father works irregularly and is paid in cash.
Income withholding won't work for me. What will?
Automatic
billing, telephone reminders, and delinquency notices
from your chosen enforcement agency might convince him
to make regular payments. Other techniques, such as property
liens, credit bureau reporting, and federal and state
income tax refund interception to pay past-due support
might work . The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) requires States to
have laws for suspending or revoking drivers, professional,
occupational and recreational licenses for unpaid support
arrearages. If none of these is successful, your enforcement
office can take the case to court for stronger enforcement
methods, such as contempt. My
ex-wife has her own computer programming service. How
can my child support enforcement agency find out how
much she earns, and how can they collect the money?
Your
State child support enforcement agency has access to
information from the Internal Revenue Service to determine
her income and assets. This information will help to
set the support order amount.
Cases
involving self-employed noncustodial parents can be the
most challenging to work, and often take more time and
effort. If it is not possible to arrange for an allotment
or withholding, it may be possible to secure liens on
her payments from regular clients or to garnish her bank
account. If her business depends on having a license,
she may make arrangements to pay rather than risk losing
her license. Knowing that arrears will be reported to
a credit bureau may give her a strong incentive to comply
with the order. Provide your caseworker with as much
information as you can about the business and her clients. My
ex-spouse is in the Army. How do I go about having child
support payments deducted from a paycheck? And can I
get medical coverage for my child?
Members
of the military are subject to the same income withholding
requirements as other public or private employees. Federal
garnishment procedures should be used in most instances,
although use of military involuntary allotments is sometimes
more appropriate. If a service member is not meeting
a support obligation, an income withholding order can
be sent to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service
(DFAS) Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Ask your State child
support enforcement agency for information on how to
start this action.
To
get medical coverage for a child of a military member,
the child must be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment
Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Contact the following
DEERS Office for the nearest DEERS enrollment site:
800-334-4162 (California
only)
800-527-5602 (Alaska and Hawaii only)
800-538-9552 (all other States)
Can
past-due child support be taken from the State income
tax refund, as well as from federal income tax refunds?
Absolutely.
In fact, all states with a state income tax are required
by Federal law to deduct past-due child support owed
to families from State income tax refunds. How
does the non-paying parent find out that his or her State
or Federal tax refund will be taken?
The
State child support enforcement agency must notify the
noncustodial parent in advance of taking the action.
The notice specifies the amount owed in arrears and the
amount to be offset. It also tells the parent whom to
contact if he or she wants to contest the action. Doesn't
the Internal Revenue Service have another method it can
use to help me get my child support?
Yes.
Your caseworker may be able to make a request for use
of the IRS "full collection" technique. Under
certain conditions, the Internal Revenue Service can
attach a parent's income and other assets for child support
payments. Your chosen child support enforcement agency
can submit the request when the amount owed is over $750
and there is good evidence that the obligated parent
has assets that can be tapped for collection. Contact
your chosen enforcement agency for more information.
The
children's father lost his job and is collecting unemployment
compensation. Can child support payments be deducted
and sent to me?
Yes.
Unemployment compensation and other State and Federal
benefits can be tapped for child support. Ask your caseworker
about the procedures, and make sure you tell your caseworker
immediately if you learn about changes in the father's
employment situation. My
ex-wife has declared bankruptcy and says she doesn't
have to pay child support. Is that true?
Not
usually. Child support payments generally cannot be discharged
in bankruptcy. This means that the parent who owed child
support cannot escape this duty by filing for bankruptcy.
As of October 1994, bankruptcies do not act as a stay,
or hold, on actions to establish paternity or to establish
or modify child support obligations. The relationship
between child support and bankruptcy is complex, and
you may need the help of someone familiar with bankruptcy
law. Ask your caseworker how your chosen enforcement
agency can help. My
children are over 18 and don't get child support any
more, but there is still a $10,000 arrearage owed to
me for support that was never paid. Will my enforcement
agency collect that money for me?
State
statutes of limitations determine how long the enforcement
agency can try to collect on a child support debt. Within
this period, the enforcement agency is required by Federal
law to collect verified back support. Ask your chosen
enforcement agency for more information. Can
my children be provided for if my ex-husband dies?
Yes.
A well written child support order should provide for
continued support if the noncustodial parent should die.
The child support payments should be defined as a claim
against his estate. The children can also be named as
beneficiaries in your ex-husband's life insurance policy
or will. I
know the address of my children's father in another State,
and my caseworker sent a petition to establish my support
order there. That was three months ago, and still no
support payments. What's wrong?
It
may be any number of things: enforcement officials may
not be able to serve notice on the noncustodial parent
due to inadequate address information; if a hearing is
necessary, it may take a while to get a court date. Continue
to keep in touch with your caseworker to resolve any
delay or to provide any new information you may have.
If you’ve only been working with a state agency,
you might consider contacting a private enforcement agency
or an attorney specializing in child support enforcement. I
have had to wait several months for my enforcement agency
to get a reply to its request for location assistance
in another State. Why does it take so long to get an
answer?
Even
though they try to be responsive, government enforcement
agencies have a very high demand for their services.
Many government agencies are simply understaffed and
overworked. You might consider contacting a private child
support enforcement agency or an attorney specializing
in child support enforcement.
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PROTECT
YOUR OPTIONS AND SIGN OUR PETITION
Help
protect your right as a parent to choose the
best way to collect child support. Sign
the NCCSO’s "Petition from Custodial
Parents" that will be sent by NCCSO
to the President of the United States and each
State Governor during NATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT
AWARENESS MONTH - AUGUST 2003. This petition
urges these elected officials to help parents
who are owed child support by improving the
nation’s child support enforcement efforts.
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As
soon as the children's father is notified about enforcement,
he moves. How will I ever be able to collect my support?
This
situation is all too common. It is very frustrating when,
after the noncustodial parent is finally located and
served notice of the enforcement action, he or she moves
on. It is difficult to enforce child support payments
when the noncustodial parent intentionally moves to avoid
paying. There are certain actions you can take to help
your chosen enforcement agency collect your support.
For instance, try to be an active participant in your
own case. Whenever you learn that the noncustodial parent
has moved or has a new job, you should tell your caseworker
as soon as possible. Other helpful resources for locating
deadbeats are the State directories of new hires. Starting
October 1997, all States are required to have a State
Directory of New Hires, and employers are required to
report hiring new employees within 20 days. This information
is then sent to a National Directory of New Hires. These
directories will help your chosen child support enforcement
agency to locate the noncustodial parent if he or she
moves on to a new job. Isn't
there a law now that makes it a Federal crime to not
pay child support if the child lives in another State?
Yes.
The Child Support Recovery Act of 1992 makes it a Federal
crime to willfully fail to pay support for a child living
in another State.
In
order to prosecute under this Act, the United States
Attorney's Office must prove that the noncustodial parent
was financially able to meet his/her obligation at the
time the payment was due. If support arrearages are more
than $5,000 or are unpaid for longer than one year, the
noncustodial parent is subject to punishment. A major
consideration in screening a case for Federal prosecution
is whether all reasonably available civil and State criminal
remedies have been pursued first. Next, priority is given
to cases: (1) where there is a pattern of moving from
State to State to avoid payment; (2) where there is a
pattern of deception (e.g., use of false name or social
security number); (3) where there is failure to make
support payments after being held in contempt of court;
and (4) where failure to make support payments is connected
to some other Federal offense such as bankruptcy fraud. I
don't have a support order. Can I have one established
by petitioning the court where my ex-husband lives?
Yes.
This can also be done by your local government child
support agency . Depending on the facts, it could be
handled in your State or referred to another State under
the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) which
federal law requires all states to have and use. You
will need to supply your child support agency with the
facts of the case, including the name and address of
the noncustodial parent, details of your financial circumstances,
and the needs of your child.] An affidavit of the facts
and a petition will be mailed to the enforcement agency,
the court, or the interstate official where the father
lives. The responding State will review this information
together with information about the father's ability
to pay, and set the amount to be paid. The
father of my child has left the United States. How can
I get my court order for child support enforced?
We
suggest that you check with your chosen government child
support enforcement agency. Many State child support
enforcement agencies have agreements with foreign countries
to recognize child support judgments made in other countries,
or to help establish orders when there is none. The U.S.
Government is in the process of negotiating federal-level
reciprocity declarations with other countries on behalf
of all U.S. jurisdictions. These international child
support agreements specify procedures for establishing
and enforcing child support orders across borders. While
requirements for getting enforcement action may vary
depending on the other nation involved, a parent will
be asked to provide the same information as in a domestic
case, including as much specific information, such as
address and employer of the noncustodial parent, as is
possible.
If
the noncustodial parent works for an American company,
or for a foreign company with offices in the United States,
income withholding might work even if the country he
lives in does not have any agreement to enforce an American
State's order. Even in cases where the noncustodial parent
is living and working in a country that has no reciprocity
agreement, approaching the foreign employer directly
for help might prove successful. I
am not happy with my enforcement agency. Where can I
send my comments?
The
National Coalition for Child Support Options is very
interested in your comments, whether they’re about
a government enforcement agency, a private enforcement
agency or an attorney. Please email your comments maryanne_best@childsupportoptions.org or
call us at (866) 244-1946.
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Beta
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Beta Paternity testing Laboratory performing DNA paternity testing utilizing
painless mouth swabs. Beta paternity offers affordable in-home, convenient,
private paternity DNA testing worldwide.
Child
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Child
Support Handbook
Child
Support Enforcement Council
The Child Support Enforcement Council (CSEC) is a national association of
the leading private child support enforcement agencies. CSEC provides educational
services and professional development to member agencies to ensure that custodial
parents receive the highest possible levels of ethical and professional service
from the private enforcement agencies.
Divorceinteractive.com
Divorce Interactive is a comprehensive divorce resource containing divorce
and family law information on child support, custody, alimony and visitation
issues; divorce advice.
DivorceNet.Com
Federal
Office of Child Support Enforcement
Kids
n’ Common
Kids n’ Common is a web-based resource designed to help single and
divorced parents manage their busy lives. Kids n’ Common allows single
parents to work directly with their ex-spouses online to keep in contact
regarding important issues about their kids and to keep better records.
Single
Parents Association Online
Single Parents Association (SPA) is a nonprofit organization devoted to providing
single parent families educational opportunities and FUN, family activities.
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