Child Support Unit
585-268-9312
Paternity Establishment
Prior to obtaining a court order for
child support payments, mothers who were not married to their child’s
father must legally establish the child’s paternity. Options for
paternity establishment include signed written acknowledgement by the
parties, court hearings and determinations, and blood testing. We
work cooperatively with single mothers and the court to establish
paternity.
Support Establishment
Once paternity is established, single
parents are encouraged to seek a court order establishing a legal
requirement for absent parents to financially help support their children.
In addition to setting regular payments that an absent parent must make
for his or her children, the court may also determine the absent parent’s
responsibilities for assisting with costs of medical coverage and
childcare costs. Support Unit staff help custodial parents complete
the necessary paperwork, and otherwise assist them navigate the court
system and its processes. This service is provided free of charge to
all Allegany County residents.
Support Collection
Upon receipt of a
court order for child support to be paid, the Support Collection Unit takes a
lead role in obtaining the child support. Working with local employers
as well as those across the state and the country, we receive payments that
are withheld from absent parents’ paychecks, as well as those made personally
by people who are self-employed or unemployed. Payments will then be
sent directly to the custodial parent, or will be used to offset the costs of
Allegany County support of the child. There is no cost to Allegany County
custodial parents for this service.
Support Enforcement
Absent parents sometimes fall
behind in their support payments. If this happens, the Support Unit takes
action to collect past due child support and ensure future payments. This
may include filing legal petitions, referral to a credit bureau or the NYS
Department of Taxation and Finance, interception of Federal or State
income tax refunds, suspension of driver’s or professional licenses, or
other action. There is no cost to Allegany County custodial parents for
this service.
Parent Locator Services
Absent parents can sometimes be difficult
to find. The Support Unit has linkages with many outside agencies to
assist in locating these absent parents. They may do searches through the
US Postal Service, wage or other employment reports, Department of Motor
Vehicles searches, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the
Veteran’s Administration, and many other options. There is no cost to
Allegany County custodial parents for this service.
Legal Services (income-based fees)
When the child or custodial parent receives financial or medical
assistance from the Department, we contract with an attorney to represent
our interests and the interests of the child in child support hearings.
This service is provided free of charge to these custodial parents.
We also contract with an attorney to provide low-cost legal
representation to all other custodial parents who request such
assistance. These parents pay for this representation through their child
support payments.
For more information select a link below:
NYS
Division of Child Engorcement
NYS Unified Court System
Federal
Office of Child Support Enforcement
