{"id":372223,"date":"2019-03-13T12:19:16","date_gmt":"2019-03-13T17:19:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/dc-law\/child-support-enforcement-in-d-c-1.html"},"modified":"2025-02-20T10:42:31","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T15:42:31","slug":"child-support-enforcement-in-d-c-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/dc-law\/child-support-enforcement-in-d-c-1.html","title":{"rendered":"Child Support Enforcement in D.C."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Child Support Enforcement in D.C. <\/h1>\n
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\n By Kit Yona, M.A.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Child support orders define the obligations each parent has for the well-being of their children, but that doesn’t guarantee payment. The parents must meet the needs of the child, such as child care, health insurance, and medical expenses. But people don’t always follow court orders. Luckily, the District of Columbia has resources to enforce child support<\/a> payments.<\/p>\r\n

Not getting the funds you expect to help provide for your children is frustrating. This article will help you understand what the Child Support Services Division<\/a> of the Office of the Attorney General (CSSD) will do to collect overdue child support payments.<\/p>\r\n

Establishing Paternity<\/h2>\r\n

You must establish parentage before a child support order gets created. In divorce cases, it’s assumed the former spouses are the parents of the children (automatic legal relationship). In other cases, parentage requires determination. One way is if both parents sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity (AOP)<\/a>. This gives legal recognition of parentage, including a birth certificate.<\/p>\r\n

The CSSD can enforce the determination of parentage in other cases by filing a petition in Superior Court<\/a>. The birth mother and the alleged father must attend a hearing. The court can compel genetic testing to determine if the possible father is the child’s birth parent. If so, the court can issue a child support order, or the parents can make arrangements through the Conciliation Process<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

How DC Courts Calculate Child Support<\/h2>\r\n

The parents’ income gets combined into a single gross income. It’s cross-referenced with the number of children in the order on the District of Columbia Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligation<\/a>. FindLaw’s District of Columbia child support calculations article<\/a> explains how the process works.<\/p>\r\n

Final court orders must adhere to the District of Columbia’s child support guidelines<\/a>. These guidelines allow complex child support calculations<\/a> to determine which parent will make payments to the other and the amount of child support they must pay.<\/p>\r\n

Enforcing Child Support Through Wage Withholding<\/h2>\r\n

Resentment over paying child support is possible, and some non-custodial parents might decide not to pay. The District tries to make this impossible by mandating wage withholding<\/a> as the default method for collecting child support obligations. This takes much of the opportunity to refuse payment from the parent’s hands.<\/p>\r\n

Also known as income withholding, wage withholding allows the paying parent’s employer to deduct child support from their paycheck. The employer then sends the money to the CSSD<\/a>, which issues the child support payment to the custodial parent. If the parent is in arrears (owes back payments) on child support, the state can withhold an extra 25% of the child support payment amount<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

If a parent reduces their income without good cause (such as quitting a job for no legitimate reason) or refuses to try to find employment, they are still required to make child support payments. The court can rule that their payments stay at the same amount<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Administrative Procedures for Enforcing Child Support<\/h2>\r\n

Sometimes, wage withholding isn’t available as a payment method. This happens for self-employed people, business owners, and non-custodial parents who don’t live in the District. These parents are expected to make payments by mail, online, or in person at participating retailers<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

For the CSSD, getting a payment is more important than punitive measures. Parents who fall 30 days into arrears are notified of their status and encouraged to get their payments up to date. If that doesn’t work, the CSSD has a variety of administrative procedures<\/a> for getting the missing funds. These include the following:<\/p>\r\n