Child Support Services

What does “parentage” mean?

Parentage identifies a person who is a legal parent to a child.

Before establishing a child support order, parentage must be determined. If a child is not born as a result of a legal marriage, it may be necessary to establish parentage in a legal proceeding.

Parentage is established through:

• Acknowledgment of Parentage – In this case, the man named as the father of the child agrees to sign an official form stating he is the father. At the time of birth, the father can sign the form. Acknowledging Parentage may make court involvement unnecessary.
• Legal establishment of parentage – If the man named as the child’s father by the mother denies the relationship, or if the mother is unsure who the father is, the county can conduct genetic testing. The court can then review the genetic test results, determine whether or not the named man is the child’s father, and -if appropriate- decide on an appropriate child support order.

Additional information on parentage establishment is available on the State of Colorado’s Child Support Parentage website.

Child support orders can be reviewed for a potential change at any time. You many request an review and adjustment of your Support Order (also known as a “modification”), where the income and expenses of both parties and the children are reviewed. This request must be submitted to Child Support Services. A hearing can be set with the court if necessary.

Reasons to request a modification must be ongoing, not temporary, and may include:

• One of the children has emancipated but your order is a fixed amount for all children on your case.
• You or the other parent have had a significant change in income that may change your support order by 10 percent or more.
• There has been a significant change in the cost of raising the children on your case (such as healthcare costs, daycare costs or extraordinary medical expenses).

Note the following guidelines:

• Modification requests must be made in writing.
• You must specify why and how your circumstances have changed.
• You must sign and return the request to the Child Support Services office that manages your case.
• Include an income and expense declaration with supporting documentation.

If your order was created in another state, the Child Support Services office will request that the other state modify your order. Colorado cannot modify another state’s order.

You can request modification materials from your technician at the Child Support Services office.

Additional information on changing an order is available on the State of Colorado’s Changing an Order website.

Question: What does “parentage” mean and why is it important?

Answer: Parentage identifies a person who is a legal parent to a child. Before establishing a child support order, parentage must be determined. If a child is not born as a result of a legal marriage, it may be necessary to establish parentage in a legal proceeding.

Additional information on Parentage establishment is available on the State of Colorado’s Child Support Parentage website.

Question: Can you help me locate a parent/parents?

Answer: If you need help enforcing your child support order but don’t know where the non-custodial party lives, we can try to help locate them. Our office uses a number of tools and resources in attempting to locate a non-custodial parent. For suggestions on locating non-custodial parties go to the State of Colorado’s Child Support Website.

Question: How long does it take from Application to Support Order?

Answer: Completing the application will take approximately 30 minutes. You will also need to gather additional documentation such as birth certificates and Social Security cards for your child or children, copies of court orders, and proof of your income to submit with your application. Once we receive a complete application, we open the case within 20 business days.

Legal processes, such as establishing parentage and/or establishing an order can take several months. If you already have a Support Order we will begin enforcing more quickly.
Please provide complete information both with your application and when requested by your technician so we can help you most effectively.

Question: How is a Support Order completed?

Answer: An order can be completed by our office in one of two ways:

Administrative Process Action (APA): This is a legal procedure. A worker in our office may host a meeting to complete an order. An agreement made between the parents has the same effect as one ordered in court. It is legally binding on the parties concerned.

Orders obtained by Judicial Action: A judge or magistrate conducts the hearing in court and will decide whether to issue a support order. Both parties will be required to appear before the court and provide proof of their income and expenses.

Colorado Child Support Guidelines are used to determine the amount ordered. The State of Colorado’s Child Support website has detailed information on the guidelines as well as links to the actual worksheets and instructions for using them.

Question: Can a Support Order change?

Answer: Yes, child support orders can be reviewed for a potential change at any time. Please see the “How and When to Change a Support Order” tab for additional information.

Question: How are Child Support Orders enforced and collected?

Answer:

Actions we use to enforce payment of a child support obligation include:

• Driver’s license suspension
• Professional license suspension
• Recreational license suspension (hunting or fishing licenses)
• Legal contempt of Court proceedings

Payment collection options include:

• Wage Withholdings
• Intercepting State or Federal income tax returns
• Garnishment of unemployment compensation benefits or workers compensation
• Intercepting Lottery winnings
• Automatic monthly payments deducted from a bank account.

Question: What happens if a parent lives out-of-state?

Answer:

If the non-custodial parent lives in another state and the custodial parent lives in Colorado:

• We can request assistance with enforcement from another state if we verify that the non-custodial parent lives there and wage withholding is not an option.

If the non-custodial parent lives in Colorado and the custodial parent lives in another state:

• We can enforce a Court Order at the request of the state where the custodial parent is living.
• We can enforce a Court Order if it was established in Colorado and the custodial parent applies for services.

Time frames for an interstate case can be longer because there are two different states involved, not just one. More information regarding interstate child support enforcement can be found at the State of Colorado’s Child Support Interstate Cases website.

Question: How do I make Payments?

Answer: If you have received a payment coupon, checks or money orders should be made out to “Family Support Registry” and mailed to:

Family Support Registry
P.O. Box 2171
Denver, Colorado 80201-2171

If you do not have a payment coupon, put your Family Support Registry (FSR) account number on your check or money order for the payment to be credited correctly. You can find your FSR account number by calling 1-800-374-6558.

Automatic payments can be set-up by requesting a recurring automatic withdrawal by calling 1-800-374-6558.

Your child support payment can also be deducted from your paycheck. To provide your employer information for voluntary wage withholding, call your technician or contact Boulder County Child Support Services at 303-441-1000.

You may also pay your Colorado child support at the kiosk in the West lobby entrance at the Boulder County Longmont HUB (515 Coffman St.) using cash, card, or e-check. At this time, there is no charge to pay with cash or check.

More detailed information about the Family Support Registry and available payment distribution options may be found on the State of Colorado’s Child Support Services Make a Payment website.

Question: How do I receive Payments?

Answer: All payments are processed by the Family Support Registry (FSR), a state agency that tracks payments and distributes them to custodial parties.

Payments are sent by direct deposit or placed on an FSR debit card.

More detailed information about the Family Support Registry and available payment distribution options may be found on the State of Colorado’s Child Support Services Receiving Payments website.

Our hours are 8 am – 4:30 pm at:
515 Coffman St, Longmont, Colorado, 80501

Phone: 303-441-1000
Email: childsupport@bouldercounty.gov