My ex is expecting a tax refund. Will I get that money, and when?
Our Office policy is not to discuss the origin of the payment. What we can tell you is, if the non-custodial parent owes past-due child support and is eligible for tax interception, we have requested the interception of State and Federal tax refunds. However, there are a number of reasons why our request may not be honored. For example, if the non-custodial owes back taxes, the tax refund will be applied to that debt first. If the non-custodial parent has another child support obligation, the refund may be applied to that case instead of yours. If you were (or are) receiving TANF benefits and the State has not been reimbursed for those benefits, the federal tax refund will be applied first to any amount owed to the State.
How do I get out of your program?
Only custodial parents who are receiving TANF or Medicaid benefits for themselves and their child(ren) are required to participate in the Title IV-D Program. If you received TANF benefits in the past and the State has not been reimbursed for those benefits, your case will remain open in the Title IV-D office until the State is repaid. So long as your case remains open, you are required to cooperate with our efforts to collect current and past-due child support.
In all other cases, however, participation in the Title IV-D Program is voluntary. If you would like to withdraw from the program and are eligible to do so, please send us a written request.
The other parent owes me a lot of past-due child support, and I know I will never see it. Can I just write that off, so he/she will quit giving me a hard time about it?
No. In Indiana, parents cannot make deals between themselves regarding child support. Only a court can decide how much child support is owed. Even a court normally cannot write off or modify the amount of past-due child support that is owed. The reason for this rule is that the right to receive support belongs to the child, not to the custodial parent, and it is not in the child’s best interest to let the non-custodial parent out of his or her current or past support obligation. You can discontinue the enforcement, by the TItle IV-D office.
The other parent got a new job and is making a lot more money. Why aren’t I getting more child support?
A person’s child support obligation does not automatically increase or decrease when that person’s (or the other parent’s) income changes. If you wish to look into changing the amount of support the non-custodial parent is ordered to pay, please see our web page about modifying your child support.
You sanctioned my TANF benefits. How do I get them back?
If we sanctioned your TANF benefits, it is because you failed to turn in required paperwork by the deadline, attend a court hearing, or provide us with information that we need to administer your child support case. We will explain what information or assistance we need from you. As soon as you cooperate with our request, we will ask that your benefits be restored.
How long does it take to get child support?
The answer to that question depends on a large number of factors, many of which our office has no control over, so we will provide just some very general answers here.
If a child support order has already been issued by a court in Morgan County, and you know where the other parent works, we should be able to get child support withheld from the other parent’s paycheck and sent to you.
If a court hearing has to be requested by our office for whatever reason, the hearings are based on the court schedule not our office.
There are lots of reasons why the process can take much longer, including: the non-custodial parent’s whereabouts are unknown; the non-custodial parent resides in another state, is in the military, or is incarcerated; the non-custodial parent avoids service of summons or fails to appear at the court hearing; the non-custodial parent is unemployed, disabled, or works for cash under the table.
Why do I have to submit all my questions to your office in writing?
The short answer is: (1.) to protect your privacy, and (2.) to provide the highest level of customer service with the limited resources that we have. First, we need to make sure that we provide information only to the person who has the right to receive it. By requiring that you make your request in writing and provide proof of identity, we can be certain that we are communicating only with you.
Although we do not provide case-specific information over the phone, you can discuss your case in person with a customer service representative by stopping by our office during regular business hours. You do not need an appointment.