Child Support Office-RANT

[JB111107]

Seriously do you only need a pulse to work in this office? I am so annoyed and frustrated with them it is unbelieveable how incompetent they are.

My ex and I have a child support order that began this past June. It wasn't done until August, though, which put the payments immediately past due from the beginning. The day that we went to court, the order was given to the payroll dept at the employer to begin the deductions, and that was done. The past due amount could not be paid yet because the AG had no "case" set up to receive the payments, and here in Texas, if the money is paid directly to the other parent, it doesn't count as anything but a gift so that wasn't an option either. We figured that the sooner payments started going in, the easier it would be.

December-Everything is being paid as it should every paycheck, but the money is not being dispursed from the state, and neither my ex or I can figure out why. The week before Christmas the court sends out a letter of dismissal of the order because ex's lawyer never sent the final order to the judge for filing and signing off. He gets the order to me, I sign it, the judge signs it and we think that should take care of the problem, as apparently the AG office is STILL not setting up a case file for us. We both are wondering where the $$ has been going that has been paid in, which is a couple thousand dollars at this point. Well, 2 days later the AG refunds all the money paid Aug-October. WTH??!! They claim they don't have any case to apply the funds to so they're returning them. Now, both the ex and I tried to set up an account with the AG Office on our own, through their website, citing our case number and everything but neither of us were successful, they claimed they had to wait on the court orders.

Now it is January, and they've kept all the $$ paid in from November and December, they now have a case set up, but they still haven't dispursed any of the funds, and NOW they've issued a NEW order to the employer to withhold not only the ordered amount, but 100 extra per paycheck to cover the arrearage, which they claim is more than 12 months, AND they're charging interest and penalties (accrued and compounded, naturally) on the money that they refunded, claiming it was never paid. They don't even show at least one of the payments being received, and the amount they claim is past due is more than the total amount that has even been required to pay in since the beginning of the order. They said that the money "refunded" can be paid back in a lump sum, but that won't rescind this order for additional withholding, so why on earth would someone want to pay back a lump sum AND have it taken out of their paycheck? They don't seem to understand why we would be upset over this.

I'm not getting any money, my ex isn't getting any money, and they can't tell either of us why, nor can they provide any accurate accounting for all the money that has been paid in, AND they feel it is OUR mistakes, so interest should be applied. Even more, they are tacking on interest on the first of every month, when the payments aren't even due for the whole month up front, but are every 2 weeks, so they are charging interest on child support that isn't even due yet!

Is it just us, or does anyone else have this much trouble with a child support order?

 

[LuvMickey36]

Welcome to the world of child support. Just remember what I tell myself every few months.......... What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

No advise to you, but Good Luck

 

[agnes!]

wow. Here you have an Ex that WANTS to pay the money, is paying the money and you're not getting it?

I would say get a lawyer, but you've already done that (and are probably pretty sick of lawyers at this point ...)

A couple of thoughts...
Go *directly* to the office that seems to be having a problem, make an appointment if you can. Sometimes if you talk in person to whomever is responsible, things get done. And done *correctly*.

Call (Do NOT just e-mail or write a letter, you're starting to run out of time) your state senator/legislator - that is what they are there for, to provide constituent service. If a state politician who's responsible for your agency's funding calls the office, things get *fixed*.

Ask the judge (or his/her office) who you must talk to to GET THIS FIXED.

Show up in person, at wherever you're trying to get answers out of. It is harder to brush off a person when they are standing right in front of you.

agnes!

 

[Mom2Angels]

I had the same problem here in California years ago, money was going in but I wasn't getting it, it was the biggest headache, we just stopped the whole process and he gives me a check every month with no problem.

Debbie

 

[JB111107]

I had the same problem here in California years ago, money was going in but I wasn't getting it, it was the biggest headache, we just stopped the whole process and he gives me a check every month with no problem.

Debbie

That would be preferred, but if we do that, in Texas that is considered a gift and the AG office won't count it as a payment made towards the child support order.

On another CS point...is it normal to have a clause in the order that if the person paying dies, the child support is still due until the child is 18? How is that possible?? How on earth would that be enforceable?

 

[DrCavin]

Just went through this in Ohio & it was very frustrating. I had to have a lawyer draw up a court order saying that I was current in child support. Had order signed by the judge & submitted to child support agency. Once they got the order, they corrected their system.

Mine was that I get paid twice a month, the 15th & the last day of month. The child support is then sent to the state & they post it when its received. Well they must receive 2 payments a month, the first month the payment that was taken out of my check on the 15th, state posted it on the 17th. WELL the payment taken out of my check on the 31st wasnt received until the 3rd of the following month. Their system said I was now in arrears since they only received 1 payment the first month!!!

It took me HOURS of talking to those people to even figure out why I was in arrears & then there was nothing they could do without a court order!! F R U S T R A T I N G!!

 

[kellyg403]

Yes, I think dealing with Child Support thru the state is designed to do nothing but make you A) Hurry up and Wait or B) make you crazy.

My now dh had child support order through CA when he and ex divorced. Within 6 months of living in CA, the kids were taken from her by CA DSS. The kids were sent here after living in Foster care for 8 months while he had to prove through NC DSS he was a fit parent to take the kids. It was one huge hassle after another for him. To make a long story short, that was 1997. In 1999/2000 we received a certified letter in the mail that dh was being sued for 65,000 in back child support. According to CA, dh did not have the kids and had never paid the child support after a particular date. Well, they then turned it over to NC who started a garnishment, we couldn't do anything because the system is totally flawed when dealing with interstate. We had to hire a lawyer in NC and a lawyer in CA. It took 2 years to get it straightened out, they froze our bank accounts, took whole paychecks without notice, dh license was suspended. The whole time I am thinking how hard is it too look at the girl's school records and see that they have lived here this whole time? How hard is it fix this? Well evidently very. I was living in rental property at the time, and when dh moved in we put his name on the lease. State of CA put on lien on the property through NC. All because NC was too dumb to see it wasn't OURS. Today, Jan 13, 2009 that lein is still on that property and we have seen 2 Registrar of Deeds come and go. This whole time fees, interest and everything else is adding up. Finally in 2003 we stopped fighting, paid 10,000 settlement with the state of CA and DH has been working on his credit ever since. I think it is just the most horrible things for a person to go through. Especially since he was trying to raise his girls and provide for them.

Kelly

 

[BabyTigger99]

So because they did not get the signed order stating what they were supposed to be doing because no one bothered to file it, it is there fault?

 

[kellyg403]

So because they did not get the signed order stating what they were supposed to be doing because no one bothered to file it, it is there fault?

It is never Child Support's fault! I really honestly think there are so many people involved no one has a clue what the other is doing.

Kelly

 

[JB111107]

The entire system is nothing but problematic. People that pay regularly and on time get screwed up because of some mistake there and it ends up costing them thousands of dollars to fix, all of which could have been going to the child in the first place. People that don't pay at all are rarely punished other than getting more fines, which if they aren't paying in the first place, isn't going to matter.

On top of MY fiasco, DH is supposed to get child support from his ex for DSS. We haven't seen a penny since May of last year. Usually we only get a check if we file complaints and the court goes after her, she'll pony up the cash to stay out of jail, but this last time she moved to another state so they said they couldn't do anything about it. She has now moved back to the original state after dumping her other kids with her parents, and they still haven't done anything about it, plus he asked for a review since it has been 4 years since the original order and 60/week just doesn't cut it, but they wont allow that unless he files in person...but that court house is a 20 hour drive away.

It is way to easy to cheat the system by job hopping because the paperwork can't keep up with you. We should have a national database like the one for social security that employers use to verify if you are a legal citizen...of course that would also lead to people being listed as in arrears when they really arent (such as my case).

I just want this all cleared up before we file our taxes. I'll be ticked if they try to confiscate tax returns.

 

[cheermom1]

yep welcome to the wonderful life of Child Support Office home of no one knows anything! I have been dealing with them for 15 years now only difference is that my ex took off the day we were divorced and it's like pulling teeth to get him to pay HOWEVER child support doesn't care they told me at on point "to go home and sit on my pretty little butt and wait" no joke it really happened i was so confused and felt awful after talking to that lady - now i just gave up and he pays when he pays and that's that-

op sorry to you - you will need them this is the most frustrating thing anyone can go through.....

 

[JB111107]

So because they did not get the signed order stating what they were supposed to be doing because no one bothered to file it, it is there fault?

They did get a copy of the drafted order that was signed the day we went to court. I sent it to them. What they did NOT get was the final order which was the fault of my ex's lawyer.

I can understand that, but once they received that, they should have sent a letter requesting the refund THEY sent to be repaid, within a set amount of time, and if not, then the new orders could have been drafted, but they didn't let us have the chance to fix their mistake, they just decided what needed to be done and did it, even though it is wrong in the time frame of arrearage, wrong in the amount owed, wrong in the due dates. The only thing that was right on the order is our names.

I spent 3 years and 20K getting divorced and it was bitter and nasty. We have JUST gotten to a point where we can communicate and be civil to each other, so neither of us really wanted to deal with something that would potentially ruffle feathers again. Both of us are happily remarried and much better off than we were when we were together, and we realize that now. (Ok I knew it when I filed for the divorce but he didn't until recently).

They preached at us ad nauseum in court about working together and getting along, and then they go and screw it up so monumentally that it causes even more headaches. Gotta love the government.

 

[kellyg403]

The entire system is nothing but problematic. People that pay regularly and on time get screwed up because of some mistake there and it ends up costing them thousands of dollars to fix, all of which could have been going to the child in the first place. People that don't pay at all are rarely punished other than getting more fines, which if they aren't paying in the first place, isn't going to matter.

On top of MY fiasco, DH is supposed to get child support from his ex for DSS. We haven't seen a penny since May of last year. Usually we only get a check if we file complaints and the court goes after her, she'll pony up the cash to stay out of jail, but this last time she moved to another state so they said they couldn't do anything about it. She has now moved back to the original state after dumping her other kids with her parents, and they still haven't done anything about it, plus he asked for a review since it has been 4 years since the original order and 60/week just doesn't cut it, but they wont allow that unless he files in person...but that court house is a 20 hour drive away.

It is way to easy to cheat the system by job hopping because the paperwork can't keep up with you. We should have a national database like the one for social security that employers use to verify if you are a legal citizen...of course that would also lead to people being listed as in arrears when they really arent (such as my case).

I just want this all cleared up before we file our taxes. I'll be ticked if they try to confiscate tax returns.

You are correct. The girls mom was ordered in 2000 to pay $100 a month. She moved to a new state. The new state will no enforce. We have yet to see a penny. Gotta love it. No wonder dh is angry. He practically lived his life wondering if he was going to go to jail for a mistake for 3 years. All because common sense does not prevail. It isn't a hard thing to fix IMHO. If I send you copies of school records to show where the kids have lived after you say they don't what the heck is the problem.

Kelly

 

[mlynn]

Mu sisters xhusband took his new wife to the court house and she said she was my sister and she didn't want any child support. It took years to get that fixed.

 

[eh24fan]

And all of this is exactly why my ex and I refused to allow the state to tell us we had to have a child support order. We weren't getting along AT ALL at the time and the only thing we agreed on was keeping the state out of it completely. If he gets behind, then I just ride his behind until he catches up, I'm way more annoying than the state could ever be. We decided how much, when and agreed on anything extra.

 

[Justanopinion]

Now it is January, and they've kept all the $$ paid in from November and December, they now have a case set up, but they still haven't dispursed any of the funds, and NOW they've issued a NEW order to the employer to withhold not only the ordered amount, but 100 extra per paycheck to cover the arrearage, which they claim is more than 12 months, AND they're charging interest and penalties (accrued and compounded, naturally) on the money that they refunded, claiming it was never paid. They don't even show at least one of the payments being received, and the amount they claim is past due is more than the total amount that has even been required to pay in since the beginning of the order. They said that the money "refunded" can be paid back in a lump sum, but that won't rescind this order for additional withholding, so why on earth would someone want to pay back a lump sum AND have it taken out of their paycheck? They don't seem to understand why we would be upset over this.

I'm not getting any money, my ex isn't getting any money, and they can't tell either of us why, nor can they provide any accurate accounting for all the money that has been paid in, AND they feel it is OUR mistakes, so interest should be applied. Even more, they are tacking on interest on the first of every month, when the payments aren't even due for the whole month up front, but are every 2 weeks, so they are charging interest on child support that isn't even due yet!

Is it just us, or does anyone else have this much trouble with a child support order?

I dealt with Texas AG's office for child support for just over 15 years. My DS has graduated now and everything was paid in full so I no longer need services.

The only advice I can give you is try filing a complaint report or contact your Ombudsman directly. The Ombudsman can usually get things done a lot quicker and seem to have more knowledge and common sense than the average child support office staff.

Once you have an Ombudsman, they should be able to set you up to make that lump sum repayment and rescind the extra $100 payment.

Also, the reason they are tacking on interests is because paying child support is owed on a monthly basis but it's like having a payment arrangements when you make 2 payments monthly. You may think your on time but technically your not because you actually owe per month. KWIM?

For the PP that said they can't get a review and it's been 4 years, again, contact an Ombudsman or file a complaint through the website.

Yes, if arrearage is more than $1000 they will take federal tax returns and any stimulus checks that are sent so I would get on top of this.

My other is advice is go to the child support office in person and stay there all day if you have to until things are worked out.


My ex was pretty good about paying and what not. My DH's ex, now that's another story. We filed against her and the system is set up to automatically go after the dad. The dad is this case was the custodial parent and trying to get the child support and we kept having to correct them on that but we finally got it all worked out. Now if she would just pay once in awhile, but I guess you need a job to do that. And she's not willing to work so she won't have to pay.

 

[agnes!]

I dealt with Texas AG's office for child support for just over 15 years. My DS has graduated now and everything was paid in full so I no longer need services.

The only advice I can give you is try filing a complaint report or contact your Ombudsman directly. The Ombudsman can usually get things done a lot quicker and seem to have more knowledge and common sense than the average child support office staff.

Once you have an Ombudsman, they should be able to set you up to make that lump sum repayment and rescind the extra $100 payment.

Also, the reason they are tacking on interests is because paying child support is owed on a monthly basis but it's like having a payment arrangements when you make 2 payments monthly. You may think your on time but technically your not because you actually owe per month. KWIM?

For the PP that said they can't get a review and it's been 4 years, again, contact an Ombudsman or file a complaint through the website.

Yes, if arrearage is more than $1000 they will take federal tax returns and any stimulus checks that are sent so I would get on top of this.

My other is advice is go to the child support office in person and stay there all day if you have to until things are worked out.

All good advice, but the last bit is *great*.

My ex was pretty good about paying and what not. My DH's ex, now that's another story. We filed against her and the system is set up to automatically go after the dad. The dad is this case was the custodial parent and trying to get the child support and we kept having to correct them on that but we finally got it all worked out. Now if she would just pay once in awhile, but I guess you need a job to do that. And she's not willing to work so she won't have to pay.

The story about your DH's ex is sad - cheating her own kids .

Hey, maybe the OP should hire *you* to be her advocate, sounds like you have a lot of School of Hard Knocks experience with 'the system'.

agnes!

 

[Justanopinion]

hey agnes...totally OT...but I can be sneaky...

in the beginning my ex didn't always pay regularly...I once went to the extreme of calling the electric company, saying I was his wife and needed to update our information, I then asked who do you show as his employer, what do you show as billing address, etc....got all needed information and turned around and called the AG's office...here's his employer and his home address...now get me my money....

Hey it worked! I knew his social from the court papers and that's all they wanted to verify security.

The only other advice I have for people is play the system. Work it to your advantage. Be as munipulative as you need to be to get done what needs to get done. It's not always honest but it's in the best interest of the child to receive the child support.

 

[JB111107]

I dealt with Texas AG's office for child support for just over 15 years. My DS has graduated now and everything was paid in full so I no longer need services.

The only advice I can give you is try filing a complaint report or contact your Ombudsman directly. The Ombudsman can usually get things done a lot quicker and seem to have more knowledge and common sense than the average child support office staff.

Once you have an Ombudsman, they should be able to set you up to make that lump sum repayment and rescind the extra $100 payment.

Also, the reason they are tacking on interests is because paying child support is owed on a monthly basis but it's like having a payment arrangements when you make 2 payments monthly. You may think your on time but technically your not because you actually owe per month. KWIM?

For the PP that said they can't get a review and it's been 4 years, again, contact an Ombudsman or file a complaint through the website.

Yes, if arrearage is more than $1000 they will take federal tax returns and any stimulus checks that are sent so I would get on top of this.

My other is advice is go to the child support office in person and stay there all day if you have to until things are worked out.


My ex was pretty good about paying and what not. My DH's ex, now that's another story. We filed against her and the system is set up to automatically go after the dad. The dad is this case was the custodial parent and trying to get the child support and we kept having to correct them on that but we finally got it all worked out. Now if she would just pay once in awhile, but I guess you need a job to do that. And she's not willing to work so she won't have to pay.

Yeah, my ex and I are taking a little joint trip to the local office tomorrow. He's tried to fix it, I've tried to fix it, and to no avail. We figured maybe if we are BOTH there at the same time with all our documentation (orders, pay stubs showing it has been paid, cancelled check for the refund, etc. perhaps we can get somewhere. There's a big tax return expected on both our parts this year and we don't want to see it confiscated by this incompetent office.

 

[tazdev3225]

My DS went through this for years. The first time his ex took him to court for support was when she turned 18. DS had been paying and we had checks and receipts to prove it. The court found him over $1000 in arrears from the day DGS was born even though the lawyer argued that he was not required to pay support for the first 2 years of DGS's life, Ds was underage. We did help support the baby as did my son. When he got a job his income tax was taken and the arrears were erased. His ex didn't like getting checks through the state so the support order was canceled and my DS paid her directly with checks, she wanted cash. Six months later he went back to court, with a lawyer and was found in arrears again even though he had proof that he paid. They didn't accept it because the checks came from my account. His income tax was attached again. His ex is now on welfare so she has no choice the state takes the money from DS's wages. DS wouldn't have cared as much if she used the money on the child. My DGS is 10 years old. She sent him to DS's on Christmas in a shirt that would fit my DH and pants that fell off of him as he walked. She sends him to school dressed like this also and the clothes are usually filthy. DS has tried to get custody 3 times and she always wins. He just pays his support and does what he can to make sure that his son is taken care of.