There are many ways to collect child support due to your children. You can hire a private attorney to help you, file motions in court your self ( pro se) or use the state government child support agency. Since collecting child support from a parent who does not want to pay can be difficult it is recommended to try using the state government child support agency before you spend money you need to care for your child on an attorney. These agencies provide free child support enforcement services or for a very low cost, such as $25.
State government child support agencies are required by Federal Law to provide the following services:
Locate Absent Parents using both state parent locator and federal parent locator services
Establish Orders for separated parents
Establish Paternity if you were not married when the baby was born
Enforce Orders through wage attachment, bank account attachment, contempt of court proceedings, attachment of IRS tax refunds and more
Modify Orders when the income of either parent or circumstances of the child change
Establish and Enforce Medical Support Orders for health insurance coverage and payment of medical bills
Distribute Payments with-in Two Days of Receipt through the state payment registry
Operate New Hire Registry to Identify Noncustodial Parents Who Owe Support So Their Wages Can Be Attached
Attach State and Federal Income Tax Refunds to Collect Back Support
Seize Assets to Collect Support
You must apply for child support collection services at the government child support agency (find your government child support agency here http://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/child-support/child_support_agencies.html). Be sure you are applying at the Title IV-D agency, it is named by the Social Security Act which established state government child support agencies. To apply for IV-D services, you will need to complete the IV-D application. Whether you have an order, need to establish an order, need location services, or need to modify your existing order, your first step is the local IV-D office for an application for IV-D services. The IV-D agency is required, by federal law, to provide you with a copy of your rights and responsibilities and their services, responsibilities and fee schedule. Make sure you don't leave the office without this information.
Regular follow up with the government child support agency is the key to successful collection. These agencies have thousands of cases. Making your case stand out and helping the case worker is essential. Be sure to provide them any information you have about the non-paying parent: full name, social security number if known, address, employer, etc. Send a letter to your case worker and include pictures of the children. Let your case worker know you are there to help them in anyway you can.
About 30 days is reasonable length of time to wait for action on your child support case. If you have not received any information about the status of your case, call your case worker . If they are still unresponsive, send a short letter to the director of the government child support agency. You can call the receptionist at the agency to obtain the director's name and address. In the letter, include your case number, a short history of case and make a specific request,such as, please attach the non-payors wages, or do a state parent locator to find the non-paying parent.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
