Child support is ongoing payments made by a parent for the good of a child following the end of a marriage or relationship when dealing with money matters. The idea behind child support is that the children should still receive the same support that they would have received if the parents were still together.

Where can I get help with getting child support?

Arkansas’ Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) is able to help parents and legal guardians with the hard process of getting child support. The OCSE may be able to help with legally saying who the father is, locating the parent who needs to pay child support, getting a child support order set up, changing a child support order, and collecting child support payments, among other things.  When starting a child support case, the OCSE will ask for information about the parent who needs to pay child support and the child or children. The more detailed the information provided, the easier it will be for OCSE to get a child support order set up.

The OCSE is the best option for parents and legal guardians to set up and apply for a child support order because the OCSE has many different ways available to them to collect the child support that private attorneys do not. Some of the ways that are available to the OCSE are withholding income from the parent, suspending driver’s licenses, getting income tax refunds before it reaches the person, and filing a charge upon real or personal property for the payment of money owed.

What options are there for getting child support?

There are options available to the OCSE to collect child support from the parent who does not have the main custody of the child who is unemployed. When this parent receives income on an odd or one-time basis, the court may average the income they got over the period of time, or force a one-time support payment. To get to this income, the OCSE may go after the parent who does not have the main custody of the child’s bank or retirement accounts. They may also file a charge on the parent’s property, and may even ask the court to find the parent who does not have the main custody in contempt of court or is disrespecting the word of the court.

What happens if the parent paying child support ends up in jail or prison?

If there is an existing child support order and the parent paying child support is put in jail or prison, the OCSE has no way to collect the child support payments. However, the child support order remains in effect and the child support will continue to add up while the parent is in jail or prison. Once the parent is released, the OCSE will be able to collect the payments.

Who can apply for these services?

A parent, legal guardian, or caretaker of a child under the age of 18 may apply for services with the OCSE. To apply for services, visit your local OCSE county office, print an application from the website, or call your local office and request the application be mailed.

Resources:

https://www.arcourts.gov/forms-and-publications/arkansas-child-support-guidelines

https://www.arcourts.gov/child-support-calculator/ChildSupp.html

https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/child-support

AUTHOR: DREW RODGERS, RULE XV LAW CLERK FOR THE CENTER FOR ARKANSAS LEGAL SERVICES