How to collect child support

The LCSA will handle getting an Income Withholding Order. 

• They will serve the order within 15 days of locating the other parent's employer.
• Once the employer receives the order, they have 10 days to take the money from the parent's next paycheck. 
• The employer must send the money to the SDU.
• The SDU then sends the child support to you. It will not come from the employer or the LCSA. 

1. Get a signed copy of an Income Withholding Order 
   If you asked in your support agreement or at a hearing on support for an earnings assignment, the judge will sign an Income Withholding for Support (form FL-195). Make at least 2 copies of the Order.
   💬  Ask your court's family law facilitator or self-help center ↗️ for help with your Income Withholding Order. They can help you with the form. You can also read an information sheet for help with the form.
2. Serve the employer and other parent
   After the judge signs the Income Withholding Order, have someone at least 18 years old, not you:
   • Mail a copy of the Order along with a blank Request for Hearing Regarding Earnings Assignment (form FL-450) to the other parent's employer. Call the employer to find out where to mail it
   • Mail a copy of the Income Withholding Order to the other parent
   • Fill out and sign 2 Proof of Service by Mail (form FL-335) forms, one for the employer and one for the parent.
     • You or your server then file both forms with the court.
3. The employer takes the support from the parent's pay
   Once the employer receives the Order, they have 10 days to take the money from the parent's next paycheck.
4. Support is sent to the State and then to you 
   • The employer sends the money to the State Disbursement Unit (SDU).
   • The SDU then sends the child support to you.
   • It will not come from the employer. If you have any questions, contact the SDU at 1-866-901-3212 or visit the State Disbursement Unit's website.

⚠️ If the employer does not send the payments, talk to your court's family law facilitator or self-help center ↗️ . There are legal steps you can take, but it may be easiest to open a case with the LCSA to get their help.

You can agree to put an Income Withholding Order on hold as part of a new child support agreement.

If you already have a child support order and don't want to change it, you can create a separate agreement to put the Income Withholding Order on hold.

If you want it to be part of a new child support order

You can prepare an agreement on Stipulation to Establish or Modify Child Support Order (form FL-350). Check box 13b on the form if you agree to stay the Income Withholding Order. Get instructions on how to prepare a child support agreement.

If you already have a child support order, but only need the Income Withholding Order put on hold

If you already have a child support order and don't need to change anything else in it, you can create a separate agreement to put the Income Withholding Order on hold (stayed).

1. Sign an agreement. You and the parent can write up an agreement that you both sign stating that you agree to "stay the service of the income withholding order."  If the LCSA is part of your case, someone from that agency will need to approve and sign the agreement.
2. The other parent fills out a court form The other parent fills out a Stay of Service of Earnings Assignment Order (form FL-455). Attach the signed agreement to the form.
3. Make copies and file the form. Make at least 1 copy of the form and agreement. File the original with the clerk. If the judge agrees with your request, they will sign the Stay of Service. 

⚠️ If the other parent stops making payments, you can ask the judge to end (terminate) the stay by filling out page 2 of form FL-455 and filing it with the clerk. 

You can ask the LCSA to help you collect support and interest. They can enforce a child support order in every state in the US and in many countries. They have access to many databases to find where someone works or has money.

The LCSA has many ways to help collect support. For example, 

• Take income tax refunds
• Report the unpaid support to a credit agency
• Have money taken from someone's bank accounts
• Suspend someone's driver's license or professional license
• Put a lien on a property (like a house)
• Have the parent's Passport application denied or not renewed

Apply for LCSA services

If you already have an Income Withholding Order or can't get one because the person doesn't have a regular employer (that you know of), then it's often easiest to open a case with the LCSA so they can help you enforce the order. You can also ask your court's family law facilitator or self-help center ↗️  for information about ways to collect support.

If you do not want to ask the LCSA to help, your next step is often to ask the judge for an order that says exactly how much is owed in unpaid support (called arrearages). Then, you can ask the judge to order that the parent makes a monthly payment on the amount unpaid in addition to their monthly payments for child support. 

To ask the judge for an order:

1. Fill out and file your court forms
   • Request for Order (form FL-300)
     On your Form FL-300, check the box at item 8 (“Other Relief”) and write in “Determine arrears and set arrears payment of $ (write in a reasonable amount).” 
   • Application to Determine Arrearages (form FL-490)
   • Declaration of Payment History (form FL-420)
   • Payment History Attachment (form FL-421) to show the overdue support amounts
2. Have someone mail a copy of your papers to the other parent.
3. A judge will decide on your court date whether to change the amount.

Get step-by-step instructions on how to file and serve your forms, and prepare for your court date.