 Research
shows that children who live in single parent households where
child support is received on a regular basis do better in school,
have higher self-esteem, and are less likely to become part
of the criminal justice system. Employer collaboration with
the Department of Child Support Services is critical in helping
secure support for families with minor children. Through this
collaboration, employers withhold a portion of an employee’s
income to pay court ordered child support and enroll children
in health insurance plans to provide them with much needed medical
care. In doing so, employers help create a stable environment
for children. And because some child support collections are
used to reimburse welfare monies paid out by the government,
employers who cooperate with the Department of Child Support
Services also save taxpayers’ dollars.
Thank you in advance for your support!
The following information will address frequently asked questions
about income withholding and medical support. If you have
further questions or receive documents that are confusing
to you, please do not hesitate contact our Employer Liaison
at (805) 346-1413 for assistance.
General Information
All court orders for child support include an
Income Witholding Order(IWO)
requiring the parent’s employer
to deduct child support payments from his/her salary or wages.
The Family Support Act of 1988 requires that child support
payments be withheld from the paycheck of a parent required
to pay child support from the time that the child support
is ordered. Employers who are obligated to withhold an employee's
child support payments will be provided with an
Income Witholding Order(IWO)
order by the Department of Child Support Services.
The Income Witholding Order(IWO)
may also include an amount to be withheld for arrears
(past-due support). Once the employer deducts the amount from
the parent’s paycheck, the funds must be sent to the
child support enforcement agency within 7 business days of
the withholding. The employer must also provide the date of
the withholding.
You must honor the Income Witholding Order(IWO)
as long as the parent
remains employed with your company. If the parent leaves or
is terminated, you must notify the Department of Child Support
Services no later than the date of the next payment. In addition,
you must also provide the employee’s last known address
and, if known, the name and address of his/her new employer.
If the employee returns to work for you, you must begin withholding
child supports payments again.
You must honor every child support
Income Witholding Order(IWO) you receive,
but the amount withheld may not exceed 50% of the employee's
disposable
earnings, unless the court order specifies a higher amount.
To determine the amount withheld for each child support order,
you will need to add the total amount of the child support
Income Witholding Orders. Then, you will need to
calculate each order’s percentage
of the total obligation, and deduct the percentage from the
50% net disposable earnings. Please note that current support
must be paid first. The employee will still be liable for
the total child support amount, even if you, the employer,
are not able to deduct the total amount from the check.
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