What is a parent to do when you live in the state ranked last in the nation for child support enforcement? What makes this problem even more frustrating is our leaders all the way up to the state level know about it and have not done anything about it. Even Assemblywoman Buckley voices her frustration that we are last in the nation. Based on the minutes from the march 3rd 2009 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS AND THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. They have known since 2006 that changes are needed and here its 3 years later and they have not changed one thing. Clark County alone has 86,029 child support cases and state wide there is 152,318. Where does that leave our children?
Knowing as much as you can about the process and where you fit in is always the first step. Not only do you need to know the laws that apply but also the rules of the agency that is doing the enforcement for you.
If you go through the D.A.’s Office expect lengthy delays. Our case was filed in Jun of 08 and I received my first correspondence a month later requesting information then nothing. In July of 2009 I wrote a letter to A.D.A. Teresa Lowry voicing my frustration regarding my case and how nothing has been happening. She did have my case manager actually call me and inform me where things were going. However, I still have to hound the case manger to get information.
The other choice you have is to hire a private company. A private company will be more motivated to help you however most charge fees. Their charges range from percentage of money collected or a flat monthly fee for their services. Make sure you read all the fine print, as they have many different policies and procedures that may hurt you in the long run, such as being locked into them for 2 years. Meaning if you decided you want to open a case with the DA that’s free of charges your still liable to them for payment. They also have a time frame that they will work without receiving any payments before they give up.
What can we do as a custodial parent to help our case move along? Whichever path you chose to take make sure you stay informed. Know your rights and responsibility. Know where your case is and what the next step is. Don’t assume that everything is happening; be persistent in your assistance to know where your case stands. Make sure you report any information that you receive about the non-custodial parent that may be used to enforce child support. Keep a journal on everything. Every time you talk to non-custodial parent, case manger or any one related to the case not it down. This journal has been more useful than anything else we have taken to court.
With the state dragging their feet in helping our children it’s up to us to force them to do what needs to be done. In everything that we have to do to keep up with our cases I will also suggest that everyone take the time to contact our public leaders and voice our needs to them. We need them to help us support our children.
