Overview of Wisconsin Child Support Services for Parents
The videos below give a short overview of the services the child support program provides:
Financial Management Services
All families paying and receiving child or family support or alimony (maintenance) get "financial management" services, which include:
- entering the information about the court case and support orders into the Wisconsin child support system,
- working with employers to withhold income
- processing payments,
- collecting, recording, and disbursing payments,
- collecting, recording, and disbursing fees,
- providing monthly account statements,
- providing payment coupons,
- providing a pay-by-phone option to payers,
- providing a direct-deposit option to payees,
- providing payment information by phone and online, and
- correcting errors on account balances.
Child Support Services also known as Case Management Services
Child support services are available for both the parent paying child support as well as the parent receiving child support. County and tribal child support agencies provide child support services. Child support services are obtained by either applying for services or by being referred from a public aid or benefit program. After an application or referral has been received, the child support agency determines which of the following services are needed on your case:
- locating the other parent and his or her financial assets,
- scheduling genetic tests for the child and the man or men who might be the child's father,
- preparing the papers and taking the case to court to legally identify the father and to set a support order,
- ensuring that one or both parents provide health insurance for the child if possible,
- using all available and appropriate tools to collect the support owed, including setting up income withholding with the payer's employer,
- reviewing the support order periodically in case it needs to be changed, and
- ending the support order when appropriate.
See all child support services available to parents
Note: Child support agencies do not handle child-custody issues. Contact your local family court commissioner or a private attorney for help settling custody and placement disputes.