Georgia Child Support
The Georgia Department of Human Resources Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) is in charge of making sure that child support orders are paid. The services OCSS offers also including locating missing parents, establishing paternity, establishing child support, enforcing child support payments, and collecting and distributing the child support payments. To also support the rights of the non-custodial parent, OCSS provides the Georgia Fatherhood Services Network and the Access and Visitation Program.
If you are a parent (either custodial or non-custodial), you may apply for services at a local office of the OCSS or you may apply online. You will need to make out a check or money order for a non-refundable fee of $25 to process the application unless you are receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) or certain Medicaid benefits.In order to get a child support order, you will need to establish paternity (if it is in question) and know the whereabouts of the non-custodial parent. If you were not married at the time of the child’s birth, an administrative or court order can make the biological father the legal father. If he doesn’t voluntarily admit paternity, you must sign a paternity affidavit before any genetic testing can be done. As for missing parents, any information you have on the non-custodial parent (full name, address, social security number, etc.) will help expedite the process of getting a support order and receiving child support payments.
A support order will be set up based on the income of each parent and the number of children. Occasionally, other factors will come into play. Once that is in place, the payments will begin. Custodial and non-custodial parents should both keep good records of the child support payments.
The state of Georgia takes child support payments very seriously and does all it can to ensure that all payments are paid. In 2006, $613 million dollars in child support was collected and distributed. Of that $613 million, approximately $58 million was delinquent funds collected through seizure of state tax refunds, federal tax returns, unemployment compensation, lottery winnings.
OCSS allows either parent to request a review of the support order three years after it comes into effect. If proof of substantial changes in income or custody can be proved, the request for a review can be done at any time with a written request to OCSS.
The OCSS has a new child support guidelines calculator. This applies only to a pending order or new order as of January 1, 2007. This new guideline also stipulates that child support orders will no longer be automatically reviewed for changes by OCSS.
Other new services include:
- Both custodial and non-custodial parents can enter and receive information you their case at the online Internet portal. If you do not have Internet access, you may request the same services through phone messaging services.
- All custodial parents will now receive child support payments through debit cards to prevent lost or stolen checks or returned checks due to no forwarding address.
- Non-custodial parents may now request that their child support payments be automatically deducted from their bank account.