How did I get here?
The state or fact of being the father of a particular child
What is Paternity?
The state umbrella agency under which the Florida Child Support Program operates
What is the Department of Revenue (DOR)?
This primary mechanism allows child support payments to be automatically deducted directly from a paying parent's paycheck
What is Income Deduction Notice?
The centralized entity responsible for receiving and disbursing support payments in Florida
What is SDU-State Disbursement Unit?
The federal law governing child support cases involving parents who live in different states
What is the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA)?
Marriage, voluntary acknowledgement, DNA test/court order.
What are ways to establish paternity?
Florida law allows retroactive child support to be awarded back to when the parents separated, up to a maximum limit of this many months.
Standard child support in Florida typically ends when a child turns this age, unless specific exceptions apply
What is 18?
When a paying parent makes a payment that is less than the full monthly obligation, the payment is typically allocated to current support first before applying to this.
What are Arrears (or past-due support)?
Under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), this term refers to the single state order that has the legal authority to determine and modify a child support obligation.
What is the Controlling Order?
The means of notifying the respondent when a civil action is started that is generally accomplished by hand-delivery of a summons and petition by a deputy sheriff or private process server. In administrative establishment or modification actions, service includes notice by certified mail, restricted delivery.
What is Service of Process?
This online tool allows Florida parents to check payment history, update contact information, and review case status 24/7 without calling the service center.
What is Child Support eServices?
Name two types of Florida state licenses that can be administrative or judicially suspended for non-payment of support.
What is a driver/hunting/fishing/professional/recreational license? Any two can be accepted.
When a paying parent owes past-due support and receives a federal tax refund, the federal offset money is applied first to satisfy arrears owed to this entity if the family received public assistance.
What is the State (or TANF/State Arrears)?
When a state or foreign country grants certain privileges to another jurisdiction on the condition that it receives the same privileges in return.
What is Reciprocity?
A judicial determination terminating paternity when the court finds the legal father is not the biological father of the child
What is Paternity Disestablishment?
A written declaration signed under penalty of perjury of an individual’s income, allowable deductions, and other information needed to calculate the child support guideline amount.
What is a Financial Affidavit?
When a parent calls asking about custody or visitation disputes, staff should clarify that child support does not handle custody, but can point them toward this resource.
What are Family Law Self-Help Centers or Legal Aid services?
The portion of a support order that sets out the new support amount and effective date as each child emancipates.
What is a Step-Down Schedule?
The authority of a state to exercise personal jurisdiction over an individual residing in another state or country based on defined statutory criteria.
What is Long-Arm Jurisdiction?
A scenario where the mother was married during the conception or birth of a child, but the husband is not (or is alleged not to be) the biological father of the child(ren).
What is Legal/bio?
A request from the Program to the Legal Service Provider to start legal action or to appear in a pending action.
What is a Legal Referral
When a parent willfully refuses to pay court-ordered child support despite having the financial ability to pay, a court can issue a finding of civil contempt, which may require paying this specific dollar amount to avoid incarceration.
What is a Purge Amount (or Purge Payment)?
A receipted payment that cannot be automatically posted, cleared, distributed, or disbursed.
What is a Payment Exception?
A judicial or administrative entity having legal authority to establish, enforce or modify a child support order.
What is a Tribunal?