When will you receive your child support?

Many clients ask how soon they can expect their child support payments to start arriving? A number of factors may affect the date on which you will begin receiving your child support. Here are the usual steps in the process:

• A child support amount and start date for the support is decided either by agreement between you and your spouse or by the judge.

• Either your attorney or your spouse’s attorney prepares the court order

• The attorney who did not write the court order reviews and approves it.

• The court order is submitted to the judge for signature.

• In certain parishes, an Income Withholding Order is submitted to the State of Louisiana and the Employer. If your support was awarded in a parish that does not automatically forward the order, you will need to file the order with Louisiana Child Support Enforcement.

• Your spouse’s employer is served with the order for withholding. Your spouse’s employer withholds the support from the paycheck

• The child support is transferred by the employer into the Louisiana Child Support Centralized Collection Unit.

• The Louisiana Child Support Centralized Collection Unit sends the money to you, either by direct deposit or mail.

As you can see, there are a lot of steps in this process. Plan your budget knowing that the initial payment of child support might be delayed.