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How
can the Child Support Enforcement Division help me and
my children?
They
can:
- Locate
missing parents for child support purposes
- Establish
paternity when needed
- Establish
medical and financial support orders
- Enforce
support orders
- Modify
support orders
What
are the address, telephone number and hours of operation?
Child
Support Enforcement Division
100 South Biscayne Blvd, Suite 3100
Miami, Florida 33131
(305) 530-2600
The
hours of operation are 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday through
Friday.
What
is a "non-custodial" parent?
A
non-custodial parent is the parent who does not live
with the child. According to Florida law, every
child under the age of 18 has the right to the support
of both parents, including the non-custodial parent.
Can
the Child Support Enforcement Division help locate the
non-custodial parent?
YES.
They must know where to find the parent responsible
for support. If this is not known, the Child Support
Enforcement Division will search for him or her through
a variety of local, state, and federal location resources.
It is very important for you to provide any information
about the non-custodial parent so that he or she can
be located. Otherwise, your case cannot
move forward.
What
is the application process and how much does it cost?
If
you are a parent receiving public assistance, Medicaid,
or Food Stamps, you are automatically referred
to the Child Support Enforcement Division and you
must cooperate with efforts to obtain support.
There is no fee for this service.
Failure to respond to requests for information,
or missing appointments and court hearings may result
in sanctions being imposed, causing your benefits to
be reduced or canceled.
If
you do not receive public assistance, Medicaid, or Food
Stamps, you need to
complete an application for services. Before action
can begin on your case, a $25.00 application fee must
be paid with a certified check or money order payable
to the 'Department of Revenue'. The non-custodial
parent will be asked to reimburse any further costs
needed to process your case.
To
begin the Child Support application process, call (305)
530-2600.
NOTE: Your full cooperation is needed to assist the
Child Support Office with your case. A lack of
cooperation could cause your case to be closed.
How
is a child support order obtained?
Once
the application process is initiated, the Child Support
staff will contact you to obtain preliminary information
needed to begin processing your case. Due to the Family
Law Rules of Procedures which went into effect January
1, 1996, detailed financial information is needed from
you and the non-custodial parent to establish a support
case. You will need to provide a written explanation
if certain information cannot be obtained.
If
the location of the non-custodial parent is not known,
the Child Support Enforcement Division will first need
to find him or her before your case can be processed.
Once he or she has been located, you will be interviewed
by a child support case analyst. NOTE:
Please refer to the appointment letter sent to you for
a list of the documents you should bring to the interview
. During the interview, you must tell the case analyst
about any other legal case involving your child, no
matter what kind of case it is or was. This will
help determine how your case should be filed or processed.
After the interview is completed, your case will be
referred to the Child Support Legal Department.
The non-custodial parent must then be served (notified
of the action against him/her). The service process
includes providing the non-custodial parent with copies
of the documents you have signed, including your financial
affidavit. Once he or she is served, a court
date can be scheduled.
How
long does it take to obtain an order?
The
usual time for a paternity and/or support case is 4
to 6 months from the date of your interview. A
case involving the enforcement of an existing order
may take 3 to 5 months. However, there is no guaranteed
time as this depends on the facts in your case and how
much information you can provide. Different factors,
such as actions taken by the opposing attorney, requests
for paternity tests, or the need for certified copies
of existing support orders may delay the final results.
You can help speed the process by cooperating fully.
How
are support orders enforced?
The
Enforcement Unit works hard to ensure you receive child
support payments on a regular basis. Some methods
used are:
- Income
Deductions - Payments are deducted from the non-custodial
parent's paycheck.
- IRS
Intercepts - Tax refunds can be intercepted to collect
delinquent child support.
- Lottery
Intercepts - Winnings of $600 or more from the Florida
Lottery can be intercepted to pay delinquent child
support.
- Liens
- In certain cases, courts can place liens on real
estate and personal property for non-payment of
child support.
- Consumer
Reporting Agencies - Information about delinquent
child support is given to credit reporting agencies,
possibly affecting the non-custodial parent's credit
rating.
- Suspension
of Licenses - Driver's license, vehicle registration,
and professional licenses can be suspended or denied
for not complying with a court order for child support.
- Referral
for Contempt - Court action can be taken if the
non-custodial parent does not pay the child support
as ordered by the court. He/she could face
potential penalties, such as jail time.
- Passport
Denial – U.S. passports can be denied if the certified
amount of past due support payments is greater than
$5,000.
How
are the support payments processed?
All
child support payments must be sent to the State of
Florida Disbursement Unit, PO Box 8500, Tallahassee,
Florida, 32314-8500. Official court records are
created of payments and disbursements to allow accurate
enforcement and monitoring of your child support case.
For this reason, You must not take payments directly
from the non-custodial parent.
If
you do not receive public assistance, a check
will normally be mailed from Tallahassee within two
working days of receipt of the payment. If you
doreceive public assistance , support payments will
be kept by the State of Florida as reimbursement for
the public assistance money you are receiving from the
state.
How
is paternity (fatherhood) established?
When
a child is born to parents who are not married, fatherhood
must be determined before any other action can take
place. The alleged father may voluntarily admit
that he is the father of the child(ren). In cases
where he does not admit paternity, a court hearing and/or
paternity test is scheduled. When a paternity
test is necessary, the child's mother, the alleged father
and the child are tested.
How
much child support will be ordered?
The
amount ordered is based on guidelines set by Florida
law which take into account children's needs and the
income of both parents. Day care and health insurance
costs are also considered.
I
already have a child support order, but I am having
problems with the payments. Can the Child
Support Enforcement Division help me?
YES.
If you already have an order for child support and/or
medical insurance, the full force of the law will be
used to enforce that order so that you can receive regular
payments.
Can
I get help if I don't have a child support order?
YES.
If you don't have a court order, legal proceedings will
be used to establish child support and medical support
obligations so that you can begin to receive payments
from the non-custodial parent.
Can
the Child Support Enforcement Division help me with
visitation, custody or alimony matters?
The
Child Support Enforcement Division does not enforce
visitation or custody rights. Nor does it enforce
alimony obligations, unless there is an ongoing child
support enforcement matter which is being handled by
the Division.
How
can I increase the amount of child support?
Once
the support order is established, it may be modified
if there is a significant change in your financial situation
or that of the non-custodial parent. If you request
a modification, the amount will be recalculated based
upon guidelines set by Florida law. Normally,
a modification petition is filed with the court only
if the guidelines show the amount should change by at
least 15% or $50 monthly, whichever is greater. If
this is an interstate case (involving another state),
there may be additional restrictions.
What
happens if the non-custodial parent lives in another
state?
When
custodial and non-custodial parents live in different
states, the State Attorney's Office works with child
support offices in other states. When this type
of case is referred to another state, that state's child
support enforcement office and court system must be
allowed to process the case within their applicable
time frame.
If
you already have a support order, some states will allow
the deduction of payments from the non-custodial parent's
paycheck. However, when other states do not allow
this OR if there is no order for support, the case must
be filed with the child support agency in the other
state. That state has legal jurisdiction over
the non-custodial parent and takes the necessary action,
while the State Attorney's Office acts as a liaison
between you and the other state. If a new support
order is needed, this process could take 6-12 months.
The
State of Florida has also entered into international
agreements with various foreign countries for the establishment
and enforcement of child support obligations.
How
can I find out the status of my case?
Please
understand that all available resources are being used
to resolve your case and you must allow for the necessary
time to complete research and case actions. Frequent
calls to check on the status will only delay the processing
of your case. However, if you have additional
information about the non-custodial parent such as location,
employment or social security number, please contact
the office immediately. You may call (305)
530-2600 to provide new information or inquire about
your case. As there is a high volume of calls,
you may choose to wait for a case analyst to assist
you or leave a message with a daytime phone number where
you can be reached.
Who
do I call if I am a person with a disability who needs
assistance?
Please
contact ADA
Coordinator, at:
| Voice
Mail: |
(305)
349-7175 |
| TDD: |
(305)
349-7174 |
| Fax
No:. |
(305)
349-7355 |
| Email:. |
ADA_Mail@jud11.flcourts.org |
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