Child Support Agencies Overview

In the event that a child support hearing cannot be settled in an amicable, hasty fashion, government agencies were established to assist the parents involved, in order to both provide information, as well as to ensure prompt, consistent payment. The Department of Child Support Services was created in order to act on behalf of both parents, as well as the children in question; they offer a myriad of resources regarding the process of filing for child support, as well as the overarching process itself. In addition to the provision of forms and documentation pertaining to the establishment of child support, The Department of Child Support Services also offers information regarding legal counsel, litigation, mediation, and if the need arises, a means to collect back payment that has gone into arrears.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement is considered to be the more biased of the two agencies, acting as a means of collection on the behalf of the custodial parent who has been the victim of failure, or refusal, of child support payments. Though the terms vary on a statewide level, once back child support payment has reached an amount that is considered to be in arrears, also known as default, The Office of Child Support Enforcement provides methods to ensure the collection of unpaid child support payment.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement has in their possession, investigative tools and resources to locate non-custodial parents who have fled, in addition to strategies and methodologies that not only gauge the financial aptitude of the non-custodial parent in question, but also provide authorities with pertinent information in regards to a given situation. The Office of Child Support Enforcement can institute the withholding of tax returns, wage garnishments, and even prison sentences if the refusal of payment constitutes it.