| > | | | | whether there is a wage assignment and the funds |
| | | | are automatically taken from your earnings or you pay |
| There is nothing more discouraging than doing the right | | | | the custodial parent directly, document everything and |
| thing and not getting credit for it. How many | | | | keep all earning statements that detail the deduction. |
| non-custodial parents are paying child support only to | | | | 3. Never write a check to a child support agency or |
| have it lost by a disbursement center that is under | | | | the disbursement agency, the money will not get to the |
| staffed and technologically inapt? | | | | intended party. |
| There is over $100 Billion in accumulated unpaid | | | | 4. If the custodial parent says I’m not getting |
| support owed to 18 million children in the United States, | | | | my child support payments, and you know you are |
| according to The Federal Office of Child Support in the | | | | paying support, they may be right. Check it out. Once |
| Preliminary Statistics for 2003. Most states cannot | | | | or twice a year the names of those who may be |
| explain the existence of the undistributed funds | | | | owed undistributed funds are recorded in local legal |
| nor do they know to whom the money rightfully | | | | newspapers, or posted on the state web site under |
| belongs. The undistributed funds are created | | | | unclaimed property. |
| when non-custodial parents decide to make a check | | | | 5. Custodial and Non-custodial parents must notify the |
| out to a child support agency or the custodial parent | | | | child support agency and disbursement agency when |
| and avoid putting a docket number or case number on | | | | there is a change of address. If you don’t |
| the check. It is honorable to pay child support. It is | | | | inform them your support may be held by the state |
| foolish to think that a check or money order made out | | | | and not disbursed. |
| incorrectly will get to the intended custodial parent and | | | | Over $100 Billion in accumulated unpaid support should |
| child. | | | | raise a few eyebrows. It means there are child |
| If you pay child support and you think the state | | | | support payments out there that are not getting to the |
| disbursement agency has not forwarded the support | | | | children who need it the most and the government is |
| funds to the custodial parent, there are a few things | | | | not doing enough to address this issue. The next time |
| you can do: | | | | someone suggest that a dad or mom stopped paying |
| 1. Request an audit of your child support case. You | | | | child support, investigate. Just because you did not get |
| want to know where each and every penny has | | | | your child support money does not mean it was not |
| gone. | | | | collected. |
| 2. Keep a record of your child support payments | | | | |