The length of time depends upon the unique circumstances of each case. Some cases are more complicated and require more time. Providing additional information when requested helps CSS in obtaining a child support order in a timely manner. Factors contributing to the complexity of the case can include:

• Difficulty in locating the noncustodial parent
• Paternity establishment
• Multiple potential fathers
• Noncustodial parent lives in another state

Non-IV-D cases are managed by the county Clerk of Superior Court.

The CSS Customer Service Center serves as the gateway for all questions from our customers. The toll-free phone number is 1-800-992-9457. This puts you in contact with the Interactive Voice Response Unit, which is available seven days a week. Information is available in English or Spanish. Have your Master Participant Index (MPI) number available. A menu describes your options. Press the appropriate number to go directly to the information you want, or press "0" to speak to a customer service representative. You also can contact CSS Customer Service representatives by mail or by completing the feedback form.

Employers doing business in North Carolina are required to report all newly hired employees to the NC New Hire Directory. Prompt reporting enables CSS to locate noncustodial parents faster and increase child support collections. Employers can report online at the New Hire web site.

Location is one of the core services provided by CSS. Noncustodial parents (NCPs) must be located in order to establish paternity and support and to enforce existing court orders for support. If CSS has a record of the NCP's current address or place of employment, it considers that NCP to be located.

No. However, as the CSS agency receives more information on an NCP, its ability to locate that NCP increases.

Establishing paternity is one of the core services provided by CSS. It identifies the legal father of a child, which ensures certain rights for the child and access to the father's medical information and benefits. A child support order cannot be established for a child born out of wedlock unless the alleged father acknowledges paternity or is proven to be the father through genetic testing.

Genetic testing is a way of determining the probability that the alleged father is the child's biological father. The natural mother, alleged father and the child are tested. The most common method uses tissue swabbed from the inside of the cheek. The procedure can take place in the CSS office or a testing laboratory. Identification is required and individuals being tested are photographed to verify the donors. Results from the lab can take four to six weeks.

Paternity can be established through:

• Voluntary acknowledgment process: Both the mother and father complete a form known as an Affidavit of Parentage. This document becomes a legal finding of paternity. If there are any doubts about who is the father of the child, neither party should sign an Affidavit of Parentage. Either parent can request genetic testing to assist in determining the father of the child. Paternity should be established through the courts once genetic testing determines the father.
• Civil or criminal paternity action: A court of law establishes the paternity of the child and in most cases a child support order is entered.

Yes.The Affidavit of Parentage can be signed at your local CSS office, or visit the NC Vital Records website.

Yes. When the natural mother and biological father sign an Affidavit of Parentage the affidavit is filed with NC Vital Records. The father's signature on the affidavit gives permission for his name to be entered on the birth certificate for a child born in NC.

Once paternity is established, an order for financial and or medical support can be obtained either voluntarily or through legal action.

Establishing support is one of the core services provided by CSS. To successfully establish a support order, CSS must locate the noncustodial parent (NCP), identify how much the NCP can pay, and determine the needs of the child(ren) in the case. CSS must obtain a legal order that specifies the amount of financial support to be paid for the benefit of the child(ren).

Child support orders can be established in the following ways:

• A Voluntary Support Agreement (VSA) that is signed by a judge;
• A civil court action brought by the custodial parent, an organization or the guardian of a dependent child;
• A Criminal Abandonment and Non-Support court action;
• A divorce order that includes child support.

The amount of child support to be paid is based upon the NC Child Support Guidelines. These guidelines are used to calculate child support orders based on the ability of parents to pay and the needs of the children. The amount of child support is calculated using the worksheets contained in the guidelines.

The NCCSCC operation automatically processes all NC Child Support Services payments at a central location in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 110-139 (f).

"Distribution" is the accounting process that determines how incoming payments are applied. The Automated Collection and Tracking System (ACTS) applies these funds based on pre-defined rules of distribution. For example funds can be distributed to multiple child support cases and to multiple subaccounts for each case in order to satisfy current and past due support obligations. Disbursement means a payment has been sent or paid out based on the selected payment method for the participant i.e., ncKIDScard, direct deposit, or check (first time disbursement).

Federal and state laws require that payments from payors with more than one child support case be divided (or prorated) among all of their cases. When NCCSCC processes a payment, the money is divided among all of the payor's child support cases. The amount of the payment that is applied to each case is determined by the amount owed as current support and the amount of past due child support owed on each case.

Once a child support obligation is determined and a court order established, CSS is responsible for enforcing the order. Appropriate enforcement actions are mandatory when the noncustodial parent (NCP) is not complying with the court order.

Some remedies that CSS can use to enforce a child support order are:

• Court action resulting in jail time;
• Interception of tax refunds;
• Consumer credit reporting - An NCP's obligation is reported to consumer credit bureaus that track credit records. Having a child support arrearage debt on a credit record could prevent an NCP from getting a loan or a new credit card;
• Passport denial or revocation - NCPs with cases that have arrearages of more than $2,500 are submitted to the U.S. Secretary of State. The U.S. Secretary of State refuses to issue a passport to these NCPs and could revoke, restrict or limit a passport that was previously issued;
• Liens-A lien is a hold placed on property to ensure that child support payments are made. If NCPs have arrearages equal to three months of their child support obligation or $3,000 (whichever is less), CSS can petition the court to place a lien on the NCP's property. The NCP can either pay his or her arrearages to have the lien removed, or the property can be sold to satisfy part or all of the debt;
• Driver's, professional/occupational, or wildlife license revocation - If an NCP is 90 days behind in child support payments, a judge can order revocation of his or her driver's license. CSS also can refer that NCP's name to the appropriate licensing board to revoke a professional or occupational license. These licenses cannot be reissued until either the entire debt is paid or a satisfactory payment plan is established. Examples of professional or occupational licenses include: doctor, lawyer, realtor, nurse, teacher, plumber, barber, etc.;
• Levying financial institution (bank) accounts - If NCPs have arrearages equal to six months of their child support obligation or $1,000 (whichever is less), CSS can request that a levy be placed on the NCP's financial institution accounts.

Income (or wage) withholding is an efficient and reliable means of collecting periodic child support obligations. When North Carolina (or any other state) sends a notice of wage withholding for an employee to the employer, federal and state laws require that employer to begin withholding child support from the employee's wages. Employers deduct the amount specified under the terms of the withholding notice from the employee's paycheck and forward it to the state within seven business days. Income can also be withheld when the NCP has other sources of income, such as unemployment insurance benefits and workers' compensation.

North Carolina income withholding law permits the withholding of most kinds of income. Examples include:

• Salaries and wages
• Unemployment compensation
• Workers' compensation
• Work release
• Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits
• Veterans benefits
• Retirement benefits

The following sources of income are exempt:

• Public assistance (Work First)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal black lung benefits
• Federal death benefits
• Payments under the Federal Torts Claims Act
• Federal grants and fellowships
• Veterans Educational Assistance Payments
• Refunds from incorrect payment or overpayment of federal income tax Travel, transportation, uniform, relocation and other allowances for civilian employees on military posts
• Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) subsistence allowance
• Veterans disability and death benefits
• Federal death benefits

Yes. It is possible to collect past due child support from other types of assets such as tax refunds, insurance settlements, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation benefits, property and bank accounts. Custodial parents should inform their caseworker of any assets that the noncustodial parent has.

NCPs cannot be arrested solely because child support payments are not paid. The NCP must be served with a Motion and Order to Show Cause, which allows the case to be heard before a judge. Both parents in the case can be given the opportunity to address the court about the case. After all the testimony and evidence are presented, the judge determines whether the NCP is in contempt of the order, and if so, what penalty to apply.

Child support caseworkers can offer suggestions on where to seek employment, but they do not have the authority to require someone to go to work. A judge can require the noncustodial parent to seek employment and return to court at a later date.

The current month's payment is not considered delinquent until 30 days have passed and the amount that is owed equals or exceeds one month's obligation. Once the payments are past due 30 days, enforcement actions can be taken.

Income withholding might not be effective if the NCP is paid in cash. Delinquency notices are mailed to the NCP. If payments are not made, enforcement remedies can be taken.

CSS can intercept the federal and/or state tax refund of an obligor/noncustodial parent (NCP) who owes past due child support. For federal tax intercept, the NCP must owe at least $500 in past due child support for his or her non-public assistance cases or at least $150 for public assistance cases. For state tax intercept, the NCP must owe at least $50 for his or her non-public assistance cases. Intercepted tax refunds are used to pay child support debt that is owed to the state first and then to pay the custodial parent. Custodial parents cannot receive tax intercept payments unless the NCP has filed taxes and is eligible for a tax refund. NCPs might not be eligible for a tax refund if they owe past due taxes or did not pay enough taxes during their employment to qualify for a refund. Any funds that remain after the NCP's child support debt is paid off are returned to the NCP.

Yes. A rapid refund is a loan that uses the tax refund as collateral. Funds are still intercepted from the noncustodial parent's tax refund to pay child support, even if the lender is not aware that the NCP has been certified for tax intercept.

When the obligor/NCP files a joint tax return, some of that tax refund could be owed to his or her spouse. CSS puts a hold on funds from an intercepted federal tax refund for six months to allow the spouse to file a claim for his or her share of the refund. If the NCP and spouse sign a notarized statement with both of their Social Security numbers that waives the spouse's right to file a claim, CSS releases the held funds upon receipt of the affidavit.

Intergovernmental cases are those in which the involved parties reside in different states and a request for assistance is forwarded to the other state's child support agency.