Child Support: How Do You Pay Child Support?

There are a couple of ways that child support can be paid, but the most common way is known as a wage assignment (Family Code 5230). What this means is that the amount owed in child support is deducted directly from the parent’s paycheck. The parent’s employer forwards the amount deducted to the California State Disbursement Unit, which then forwards the amount to the other parent. It is the responsibility of the employer to remove the child support amount in a wage assignment.

A child support payment is deducted before any other wage assignments like spousal support or any other judgments (Family Code 5238).

A parent can contest the amount of an assignment. In order to do so, they must fill out a Request for Hearing on Wage Assignment within 10 days of receiving notification of a wage assignment from their employer (Family Code 5234(b)). Once this form has been filed, the court will then hold a hearing regarding whether to reduce the amount of the wage assignment.

It is important to note that this is not the same as asking for a modification of the support order. This hearing is only if you feel the amount being withheld from your paycheck is inconsistent with the court order.

If a parent is self-employed or changes jobs frequently, there are other means of paying child support that your child support attorney can go over with you (Family Code 5208).