La Paz County residents may have heard about the impact on child support issues made by the Division of Child Support Services. The office is making every effort to work with parents who owe child support. For the recently ended fiscal year, more than $1 million in child support was collected.
The supervisor of DCSS specifies that her office’s approach is to assist families for the sake of the children. If a parent is delinquent in his or her child support payments, DCSS tries to effect a positive outcome for everyone involved. As long as non-custodial parents work with the office, they may avoid court proceedings.
When a custodial parent seeks medical or cash assistance from the Arizona Department of Economic Security, they must also pursue child support. Sometimes a custodial parent will directly request a child support court order to aid them in receiving financial assistance for his or her child from the non-custodial parent. The state uses a formula involving a non-custodial parent’s income and assets to define the amount of child support he or she should pay. Another way DCSS helps parents who need it, is with job searches. The La Paz Career Center collaborates with the division to help non-custodial parents who are unemployed. Those referred to the agency might also get information to help them further their education and improve their job prospects.
A parent who is involved in child support issues may want to seek the advice and counsel of an attorney who has experience in family law matters. Although the state has a formula that is used to calculate the amount, the attorney can determine whether to petition the court and request a deviation if circumstances so dictate.
Source: ParkerPioneer.net, “Child Support Division seeks to help kids“, John Gutekunst, August 19, 2014