Child Support

Mission

The Child Support Division is dedicated to improving the financial stability of families in St. Joseph County by ensuring that both parents provide financial support for their children. 

Services We Provide

The Child Support Division is responsible for establishing paternity, establishing child support and health insurance orders, and enforcing child support orders. The services of the office are available to all residents of St. Joseph County. 

These services include:

• Location of non-Custodial Parents
• Paternity Establishment
• Establishment of a child support order & medical support order
• Enforcement of current & past-due child support

Child Support Orders

Orders may be enforced by the following methods:

• Contempt of court proceedings or supplemental proceedings
• Withholding child support from wages, including unemployment benefits
• Reporting of delinquent support obligors to credit agencies
• Seizure of federal and state income tax refunds and lottery winnings
• Driver's license and professional license suspensions
• Vehicle liens and other property liens
• Non-payment letters/delinquency notices
• Administrative Hearings
• DNR license suspensions (hunting/fishing licenses)
• Passport denials

Out-of-State/International Enforcement of Child Support

Services may also include actions to enforce child support orders in other states and reciprocating foreign countries. The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) is a process for establishment and enforcement of support orders across state lines. It is a complicated process and may involve the following steps:

• The non-custodial parent must be located and the address verified
• If there is a support order in place, a copy of the order must be provided
• If no support order is in place, you may need to complete additional paperwork with an Interstate Specialist in our office in order for the other state to obtain a support order
• Interstate documents are forwarded to the state where the non-custodial parent resides. They are processed by a statewide Central Registry before being forwarded to the actual county or town where the non-custodial parent resides. The Child Support Program and the Court where the non-custodial parent lives will assume responsibility for enforcement of an existing support order, or they will work to obtain a support order at our request.
• All proceedings in another state will be governed by its laws and its time frames. When one or both parents live in other states, jurisdiction may be at issue

Services We Cannot Provide

• Custody Issues
• Visitation and Parenting Time Disputes
• College Expenses

Self-Representation

You can request the issue to be addressed in court by filing pro se (representing yourself in court) or by hiring a private attorney. If you want to file pro se, visit the Indiana Self-Service Legal Center.

Private Attorney

If you need assistance with hiring a private attorney, visit the St. Joseph County Bar Association website.