Child Support Processes

Establishing parentage is the process of determining the legal father of a child. When parents are married, parentage is automatically established in most cases. If parents are unmarried, parentage establishment is not automatic and the process should be started by both parents as soon as possible for the benefit of the child.

Eligible parents complete and sign a VDOP which legally establishes a child’s parentage. It has the same effect as a court judgment.

Our office can help you with genetic testing when paternity is unconfirmed.

There are a variety of tools to enforce the court orders established by our office, as well as those previously established by other means. They include wage withholding by employers, intercepts of federal and state tax refunds, denying passports and other impactful means.

California law requires the court to order parents to provide health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for their children if it is available at reasonable cost. Group insurance available through an employer is presumed to be "available at reasonable cost." The court will also order a National Medical Support Notice (NMSN) which requires an employer to enroll the child (ren) in a health insurance plan and to deduct the cost of the plan from the wages of the parent ordered to pay support.

A program that reduces the amount of past due child support owed to the State and sets up a payment plan on some or all of the remaining balance. A monthly payment plan can make your past due balance easier to manage.

A change in a court order is called a modification. Either parent may request that the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) review their child support case for modification. Generally, a modification must be based upon a "substantial change of circumstances" since the last order was made by the court.

A Change of Circumstances

• A change in custody or parenting time with the child(ren).
• A significant change in the income of either parent.