What Is Child Support and How it Works..........
Ever wonder what Child Support is and how it works? Check out this informational video from the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement. http://bit.ly/OCSEvidEN
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents do I need to bring to the child support office?
Bring as much of the following information as possible. This will help the child support office locate the parent, establish paternity, and establish and enforce your child support order.
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Information about the noncustodial parent
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Name, address and Social Security number
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Name and address of current or recent employer
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Names of friends and relatives, names of organizations to which he or she might belong
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Information about his or her income and assets -- pay slips, tax returns, bank accounts, investments or property holdings
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Physical description, or photograph, if possible
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Birth certificates of children
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If paternity is an issue, written statements (letters or notes) in which the alleged father has said or implied that he is the father of the child
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Your child support order, divorce decree, or separation agreement if you have one
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Records of any child support received in the past
How does the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program handle interstate cases?
Usually the state where the custodial parent lives submits the debt for Federal Tax Refund Offset. In cases where the noncustodial parent owes a support debt to more than one state, each state submits its case for offset. The noncustodial parent receives a separate notice for each state's debt, and has the right to contest each state's debt amount.
What is income withholding
The process that deducts child support payments automatically from a noncustodial parent’s paycheck
If the non-custodial parent loses a job or is earning more money, will child support automatically be changed?
The amount will not automatically change but any party can request a review and modification.
What is income withholding?
The amount will not automatically change but any party can request a review and modification.
What can I do to make sure my child support order amount is fair?
The most important thing you can do is appear at the child support hearing. You will receive a notice about the hearing that will tell you where to go. When both parents appear and bring the necessary documents, the agency or court will be able to make a fully informed and fair decision about the child support order amount
When is a child support case eligible for the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program?
For cases in the child support program, the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program collects past-due support payments from the tax refunds of parents who owe support. The child support agency will submit your case to the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program if it meets either of these criteria:
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The custodial parent receives benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the noncustodial parent owes at least $150 in arrears; or
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The custodial parent does not receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits and the noncustodial parent owes at least $500 in arrears.
If the parent who owes support does not receive a tax refund, then there are no funds to intercept.