How Do I Find a Parent for Child Support?

Unfortunately, not all parents step up to financially support their children. Child support laws can require non‑custodial parents to pay their court-ordered obligations for their children. But to enforce an order and collect support, you must first locate the non-paying parent. Sometimes, that means working with state agencies, federal locator tools, or an attorney who knows how to track them down and hold them accountable for their responsibilities under the law.

This article provides general information about how to find a parent for child support, whether the other parent is ducking their responsibility or denies paternity.

Your child deserves the financial support they’re entitled to. A local family law attorney can guide you through enforcement options and help you secure the child support you need to care for your child.

How Does the Court Determine Child Support Amounts?

In most cases, the parent with physical custody of the child receives child support from the other parent. The judge considers the parent’s income and the child’s needs to set the amount of child support. Remember, your gross income consists of more than just your regular salary and wages. Money and benefits like workers’ compensation and Social Security benefits also qualify.

Each state has its own child support guidelines.

First Steps: Establishing Paternity

Before you can enforce a child support order and collect past-due support, you will first need to find your obligated ex. You may also need to find them if you must establish paternity. The court uses genetic testing to resolve paternity. But you must know their whereabouts before you can test them.

If the court ordered your ex to make payments to you, but they are failing to pay, you may be looking for solutions to enforce your child support order. This is also true for medical support orders. You may have a separate medical support order for your child’s health insurance and health care in some cases. The state can enforce medical support, just like child support, by ordering income withholding.

How To Find Parents for Child Support: General Guidelines

Regardless of your state’s laws, the best way to find an elusive, obligated parent is to gather as much personally identifying information as possible. You aren’t expected to produce their birth certificate. But gather as much data as possible. If the parent is a former spouse, some of this information may be easier to find.

You may be eligible to use your state child support services agency for free help. Many states require families enrolled in certain public assistance programs (like TANF and Medicaid) to open a child support case.

Part of the agency’s role is to help locate the non-custodial parent. They can use their access to resources, including credit reporting agencies, utility companies, and the United States Postal Service, to track down the co-parent.

The following types of information may help state authorities or caseworkers find an otherwise unresponsive parent:

• Social Security Number
• Address or P.O. Box Number
• Names of the obligated parent’s friends, employers, coworkers, or family members who may have relevant information
• Copy of the order for child support
• The date of birth of the obligated parent
• Addresses of past and/or present workplaces or residences, with their employer’s name(s)

Additionally, the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) maintained by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) assists state child support programs by collecting data from various sources. State child support agencies use data compiled through the FPLS to establish paternity and find deadbeat parents.

Finding an Obligated Parent: State Procedures and Tactics

Federal law is the glue that helps state child support offices come together and coordinate with each other for child support matters. But the rules and procedures for child support enforcement come from state law. States often use tools such as a withholding order (wage garnishments) and the withholding of state benefits to enforce orders.

Some other enforcement methods include:

• Holding the delinquent parent in “contempt of court”
• Denying the parent a U.S. passport
• Freezing bank accounts or accounts from other financial institutions
• Placing liens on their property
• Suspending their driver’s license or professional license
• Intercepting tax refunds

“Name‑and‑Shame” Lists for Child Support Debtors

Another method some states use is to put the names and pictures of delinquent parents, along with the amount owed, on billboards or websites. For example, the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services maintains a public, updated list of names, birthdays, and arrearage amounts for delinquent child support payers. 

While states have several different enforcement procedures, they are all meant as incentives. They are not necessarily effective at finding parents who are evading child support payments.

The State and Tribal Child Support Agency Contact Directory maintained by the federal government provides more information on how to find a parent for child support.

How To Find a Parent for Child Support in Another State

States have jurisdiction and the resources to track down deadbeat parents who live in the same state as the other parent. In other words, it’s easier if you both live in the same state. However, it’s much more difficult to enforce a child support order when the obligated parent crosses state lines, even if the court orders child support.

The federal Full Faith and Credit for Child Support Orders Act requires states to enforce valid child support orders from other states. However, actual enforcement is another matter. Often, the deadbeat parent is able to elude authorities until they’re stopped by police for a routine traffic stop. Some delinquent parents work for cash to avoid wage garnishment. It doesn’t matter what state they’re in.

In practice, parents who are unable to find an out-of-state delinquent parent nearly always do the investigative work themselves or hire a private investigator (P.I.). Some P.I.s have licenses to operate in more than one state. You may also be able to recover the cost of hiring a P.I. from the obligated parent.

Trying To Find a Non-Paying Parent? A Child Support Attorney Can Help

Child support payments are absolutely critical to parents struggling to make ends meet while covering the costs associated with parenthood. You shouldn’t have to cover child care, health insurance, and high school tuition on your own, and child support laws reflect this.

So when an obligated parent fails to do their share, it can cause major hardship in the family. Getting legal advice from a legal professional can help you get your court-ordered support. An experienced child support attorney will be able to work the system to get your child the financial support they deserve.