Arizona Child Support Payments

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed January 09, 2019

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In Arizona, all child support payments must go through the Arizona Support Payment Clearinghouse, which is operated by the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES). Specifically, the Clearinghouse does the following:

  • Receives all payments from the paying parent;
  • Processes all payments; and
  • Records and tracks all payments.

There must be an existing court order before a parent can start receiving child support for their child. The amount of the payment depends on various factors, including the income of both parents.

Arizona Child Support Payments at a Glance

Reading the full text of a statute can help to explain every detail of the law, but it's also useful to refer to a more readable presentation of the content since statutes are usually written in legalese. The chart below provides a plain language synopsis that explains how to receive and collect child support payments in Arizona.

Statutes

Arizona Revised Statutes:

Coverage of Child Support Payments

Besides the everyday household costs of food, clothing, and basic living and housing expenses (rent/mortgage payments, electricity, etc.), other expenses that can be applicable to child support payments include the following:

  • Health insurance costs (premiums and deductibles),
  • Educational expenses, and
  • Child care expenses.

Paying Child Support

Timing of the Payments

The child support order determines when the payments begin.

Initial Payment

Both federal and state law allows the issuance of an Income Withholding Order (IWO) which is given to an employer of a parent who has been ordered to pay child support.

If you've been ordered to pay child support with income withholding, your employer takes the amount of the support and sends it directly to the Arizona Support Payment Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse then sends it to the other parent.

However, this may take some time to set up. For the initial payment and until the withholding is in effect, you must send the payments to the Clearinghouse directly. You should never send payment directly to the other parent.

Payment Methods

You may choose to pay by the following methods:

Collecting Child Support Payments

After the other parent or their employer makes a payment to the Arizona Support Payment Clearinghouse, there are two collection options available:

  1. You can receive a direct deposit into a bank account; or
  2. You can use a support payment card, which is used like a debit or credit card.

Note: State laws are always subject to change through the passage of new legislation, rulings in the higher courts (including federal decisions), ballot initiatives, and other means. While we strive to provide the most current information available, please consult an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.

Arizona Child Support Payments: Related Resources

Need Help Paying or Collecting Child Support Payments? See an Attorney

If you have any issues with either paying or collecting child support payments, get a handle on your case and contact an experienced legal professional. An Arizona child support attorney can help you with any payment problems or other child support matters.

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