 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
| Enforcing an Order What is enforcement? Once the child support order is obtained, the child support office will enforce the order if the non-custodial parent does not pay as ordered. The duty of support continues until a child turns 18 years of age. If the child is 18 and still in high school, support continues until the child graduates or the class of which the child is a member when he/she turns 18 graduates, whichever occurs first. If child support is not being paid as ordered, the local child support office enforces the order for current support and collects the balance of unpaid child support. When an employer or payer of income is identified, an income withholding order is sent and an amount to pay on arrears is included. Past due child support (arrears) may also be collected by other means, even if payments are being made on the arrears. How is child support collected and disbursed? The State of Tennessee operates a central collection unit that distributes the child support payments for all child support cases in the state. The unit collects all child support money and disburses it as ordered. If the child support agency does not have a current address for the custodial parent, receipt of payments may be interrupted. Click here to send your caseworker an address update. If child support money is not sent to the central collection unit, you will not receive credit for your payments. If you have questions about your payments, contact the customer service desk toll-free at (800) 838-6911. How is my employer notified to withhold wages? If the employer is known, the TN Department of Human Services sends the notice of income assignment to the employer when the order is established. If the employer is unknown, the notice of income assignment is sent by the TN Department of Human Services as soon as an employer is located. Employers are required by federal law to report information on all newly hired employees to the appropriate state new hire reporting center. At the new hire reporting center, the social security number and name of the employee are matched with child support cases to identify employees who have child support cases. When a non-custodial parent's employer is verified, an income withholding notice will be sent to the employer. What if I don't pay my child support? If you don't pay your child support, past due payments called arrears will accumulate. The child support enforcement agency may collect arrears by:
The type of enforcement action taken depends on the individual circumstances of your case. The best way to avoid these collection methods is to pay your child support. If you are having trouble making your payments, call Child Support Services of Tennessee, we may be able to help. How are arrears calculated? Arrears begin to accumulate as soon as a payment or portion of a payment is missed. Missed payments are tracked by the State's automated child support enforcement system. Payments prior to the automated system were tracked though court records or by the custodial parent and non-custodial parent if the payments were not paid through the court. All of the records are used to determine the arrears. Any payments not made through the central collection unit are not considered child support. Information Required To help enforce your case, provide your caseworker with:
Click here to e-mail a change of address to your child support caseworker. Click here to e-mail a change in employment to your child support caseworker. Estimated Timeframes The time it takes for a particular enforcement action to take effect varies significantly based on the enforcement action. Enforcement actions requiring legal action are typically heard before the court within 90 days after the non-custodial parent is served. Enforcement actions such as liens will depend on when the person attempts to sell their property. State and Federal tax refunds typically occur during tax season and are dependent on a refund being available to intercept.
|