Alabama Child Support
The state of Alabama has specific guidelines set to determine how much you will have to pay for child support. These guidelines are designed to help evaluate evidence during the child support proceedings in order to determine the obligations between parents.
If you were married to the child’s father from whom you are requesting child support, there may be no need to establish paternity of the child. However, if you were never married, a paternity test may need to be ordered by the court to ensure he is the legal father of the child.
Anyone who is already enrolled in an assistance program such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Medicaid will automatically be provided the services of child support. To begin these, you will be given an appointment date to meet with a local child support officer who will have you fill out the application.
Those who do not receive any state or federal assistance may apply for child support by contacting their local Department of Human Resources (DHR). To find an office near you, you can consult the DHR Alabama Child Support Services web page for locations. Depending on your income, you will be charged for your application. Fees may range anywhere from five to twenty-five dollars. If the parent you are wishing to receive child support from cannot be found, an officer from DHR can assist you in locating them by performing a check with the State Parent Locator. This locator reviews tax, employment, and social security information to find the missing parent. If the missing parent lives in another state, a Federal Parent Locator check can be performed.
If you would like to get an estimate of how much child support you can expect to receive (or how much you can expect to be paying), please look at the child support calculator at All Law.
Even after child support is established, your case will be reviewed periodically to make sure the support is adequate. This occurs once every thirty-six months unless there has been a significant change in the payer’s income or the custodial status of the child has changed. In cases such as this, you will need to submit a letter to DHR stating your request for a review and the reasons you think a review is needed.
Child support payments are issued through the Alabama Location Enforcement Collection System (ALECS). Payments are sent to this agency, entered into the computer, and then the funds are distributed to the payee.
The State of Alabama tries to ensure that every parent who owes child support pays. There are a number of actions taken for non-paying parents. This can include automatically withholding income, credit reporting, a deduction from tax refunds, property or bank account liens, driver’s license denial, and federal prosecution. Interest on past due child support payments is also accrued at twelve percent a year.
For more information on child support payments and distribution, please contact the Alabama Child Support Payment Center at 242-0210 for those living in Montgomery, Autauga, and Elmore counties. People living in other counties in Alabama should call 1-800-284-4347 and those outside of Alabama can call 1-334-242-0210. The service is available 24 hours a day, but if you want to speak to an operator, you must call between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.