The local county Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) can be helpful in family law cases. And they can be helpful not just for the person that receives support.
DCSS traces its history back to Title 4 of the Social Security Act, which was a way to recoup benefits from a non-custodial parent. The national child support system evolved to where the Federal Government pays for two-thirds, and each state pays for one-third of the cost to administer the child support system. There are audits at the Federal, state, county, and court levels. The limitation forbidding retroactive modification of child support is nationwide.
In California, AB1058 passed in 1996 and created child support commissioners in each county Superior Court, and the family court facilitator’s office.
DCSS has a host of things that it does:
- Establish parentage, including genetic testing
- Locate absent parents
- Set child support
- Modify child support orders
- DCSS will file to modify support for either parent
- Enforce child support
- Enforce spousal support if in conjunction with child support
- Calculate and track arrears of child support
- Create Ostler-Smith orders (those are orders for bonus payments)
- Generate stipulations
The paying parent can open a DCSS case, and the benefit is at no cost to them, someone keeps the books and does the collections.
DCSS does NOT do:
- Custody
- Dissolution of marriage
- Terminate parental rights
- Modify spousal support
- Represent either side
- Prepare either side’s Income & Expense Declaration or responsive documents
Despite all the services offered by DCSS, it can be helpful to have an experienced family law attorney involved. James Moore has helped people get support orders in place, modify support orders, and fight for a fair result.