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Law

How do I Check Child Support Status?

Nicole Madison
By
Updated May 17, 2024
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The manner in which you check child support status may depend on your jurisdiction. Many jurisdictions have online systems through which you can check on your support. In such a case, you may have to provide certain information to learn the status, such as your name, case number, and taxpayer ID number. If the online child support system requires pre-registration, you may need a password or pin number as well. If you cannot access child support status information online, you may be able to do so via an automated child support telephone line or by visiting the office that handles child support records in your area.

In jurisdictions in which there is a website for accessing child support statuses, you will likely need to gather some records before you can log on and obtain the information you need. For example, you may need a case or docket number as well as other identifying information. Tax identification numbers and birth dates may also be used to locate your particular case information. Some systems may require a pin number or password as well. Depending on the jurisdiction in which your child support case is held, you may need to preregister with the child support website in advance of your first use.

Some jurisdictions may have child support phone numbers you can call for automated information. You may need your case number and other identifying information to access your child support status this way as well. In fact, some automated child support telephone lines may also require the use of pin numbers.

When websites and child support status phone numbers are unavailable, you may need to make your request in person. In such a case, you may visit the agency responsible for child support cases in your jurisdiction. If a lawyer is actively involved in your case, you may also ask him for assistance in obtaining your child support status.

Contacting the office or agency that handles child support cases in your jurisdiction is typically the best way to find out how to check child support status. A representative may provide you with a website address you can visit to check on child support or an automated telephone line you can call for the information you need. In many cases, these routes of access are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If there is no automated telephone line or website you can visit to check on child support, the person on the phone may be able to assist you.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Nicole Madison
By Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGEEK writer, where she focuses on topics like homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. Her passion for knowledge is evident in the well-researched and informative articles she authors. As a mother of four, Nicole balances work with quality family time activities such as reading, camping, and beach trips.
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Discussion Comments

By Mor — On Mar 02, 2012

@irontoenail - You can't blame fathers for it all though. I know a father who pays full child support even though he has shared custody. That means he's also responsible for all the bills when the kids are at his house which they are half of the time.

There are plenty of women who never learned how to support themselves as adults because they were too busy raising the children. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, but if it comes to a divorce it can be difficult to know how to divide everything up.

I think it's a good thing to keep the children's welfare firmly in the front of your mind whatever you do. And if you are a mother or father waiting on child support, I hope that you get everything that you deserve.

By irontoenail — On Mar 01, 2012

@croydon - While I can see your point, I think that people should be more responsible when it comes to their children. It's just not fair that often one parent (usually the mother) is left with all the costs of upbringing.

Personally, even more than STDs I think this is the best reason to wear a condom. Young people don't realize how a single moment of stupidity can affect their entire lives.

Of course, adults are just as poor at making sure that their kids are being taken care of. I know plenty of adult men who do everything in their power to make sure they don't have to pay child support. I think it's disgusting, because often it is done out of spite for the mother, but in the end it is the children who suffer.

By croydon — On Feb 29, 2012

It's so awful having to rely on child support. I've never been in that situation myself, but my sister has and it can break your heart how reluctantly some people will pay it.

I guess when you've got the kid right in front of you, it's easier to get a job and put money into what needs to be bought and paid for.

But, if you don't see the kid regularly (as was the case here) it can be easy to just think of it as money that disappears.

Which is no excuse of course. The sad thing was, my nephew adored his father and blamed my sister for driving him away.

Of course she never told him that his father's reluctance to pay was one reason they had to live on the edge of poverty.

Nicole Madison

Nicole Madison

Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGEEK writer, where she focuses on topics like...
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