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Paying child support when I don't see my child

In most cases, child support payments are taken directly out of the paying parent's paycheck.
 
The process starts when a Notice to Withhold Income for Support is sent to the paying parent's employer. The employer must follow the Notice. This means they take the child support out of the paycheck. The employer must send the child support to the State Disbursement Unit (SDU). The SDU then records the child support payment and sends the payment to the other parent.
 
The parent paying child support must make sure their employer is taking the right amount from their paycheck. If the employer does not take out the child support from the paycheck and send, the paying parent must send it themselves.

The law makes it clear that paying child support and parenting time (visitation) are two separate things.

Even if the paying parent does not see their children, they still must pay support. The parent who gets child support can't cut off the paying parent's court ordered visitation. This is true even if they are not paying child support. Liability for child support does not require a prior court order for parental responsibilities.

The receiving parent must follow certain procedures to enforce a child support order. The receiving parent cannot deny court ordered parenting time to enforce a child support order.

The opposite is also true. The paying parent cannot stop paying child support. This is true even if the other parent is not allowing visitation. The paying parent must follow certain procedures to enforce a parenting time order. The paying parent can't enforce a parenting time order by not paying child support.

Last full review by a subject matter expert
August 17, 2017
Last revised by staff
July 12, 2022

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