When California parents split up or get a divorce, one parent may be required to pay child support to the other parent. However, child support payments can be confusing when parents are first starting to make payments. This is because there are four types of child support cases: IV-D cases, IV-A cases, IV-E cases and non-IV-D cases.
IV-D cases are cases in which the custodial parent receives assistance in some capacity from the Office of Child Support Enforcement. This assistance could include finding the non-custodial parent or going through the court to establish or enforce a child support order. In IV-A cases, the custodial parent is actively receiving financial support from the state. The Office of Child Support Enforcement may still go after the non-custodial parent in an effort to collect child support.
In IV-E cases, the children are being cared for by a person who is not a parent. The custodian may be a relative or the state foster care system. The Office of Child Support Enforcement may still attempt to recoup the costs from the parents. Finally, non-IV-D cases are where the parents have established a child support order that is maintained privately. If child support goes unpaid, non-IV-D cases can turn into IV-D cases.
Even when the parents are not together or are going through a custody dispute, both parents are still responsible for providing financial support to the child. A non-custodial parent can provide this financial support through child support payments. A court can determine how much in child support a non-custodial parent may be required to pay using an equation based on both parents’ income and other financial obligations. A family law attorney may assist with gathering all of the non-custodial parent’s financial documents and any other information that could have an impact on the amount of child support the parent will be paying each month.