Missouri Child Support

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In USA, marriage and divorce are the provinces of state laws. The Federal government does not interfere in these matters, but has formed certain general rules that all the states have to follow. According to Federal IV-D Regulations, every state in the US has to chalk out some guidelines regarding child support. All the states are independent to form their own methods of calculating the support amount. Missouri located in the Midwestern part of the nation has adhered to this rule. Missouri divorce child support guidelines are laid down to protect the financial rights of children of divorced parents. The support amount is calculated taking into consideration the needs of the children, income of both the custodial and non-custodial parents, and health insurance and child care costs. Thus the amount will differ from one case to the other.

In Missouri a child is entitled to support amount until he turns 18 or gets emancipated. The non-custodial parent is ordered to disburse some money consistently to assist in the expenses of upbringing the child. This money is called 'child support'. The court or FSD (Family Support Division) issues the document known as the 'child support order'. Generally, this order is a part of the paternity judgment or divorce judgment. It states 'how much', 'when' and 'how often' the parent should disburse this money.

Eligibility for Divorce Missouri Child Support

The FSD offers services pertaining to child maintenance to the following individuals:

• Alleged fathers (i.e. men whose fatherhood is not established as concrete)
• Adult children (those individuals who belong to the age group 18 to 21)
• Custodians (i.e. individuals, other than the parents, who are legal guardians of the children)
• Non-custodial parents (i.e. parents who do not reside with the children)
• Custodial parents (i.e. parents who live with the children)

In order to procure services of the FSD, it is not mandatory that the person must reside in this state. In case of those children who are recipients of public assistance, the FSD provides services automatically. However, for other children, a person has to give an application for these services.

Enforcement of Divorce Missouri Child Support

FSD employs the following methods for enforcement of support:

• If the non-custodial parent resides outside this state, the FSD collaborates with other states for collection of this money
• The FSD can ask the prosecuting attorney to file criminal non-support charges or civil contempt charges
• Suspension of licenses like professional, recreational and driver's license
• Interception of winnings in lottery
• Filing of liens on real property and/or personal property
• If any non-custodial parent owes past due support, the FSD sends this parent's report to the credit bureaus.
• The FSD can order employers of non-custodial parents to enroll such a parent in health care plans
• Interception of state and federal income tax refunds
• Withholding of income like:
  • Wages
  • Unemployment compensation benefits
  • Workers compensation benefits

Payment of Missouri Child Support

The recipient of this support can get the money in one of the following ways.

• Using the SecuritE Card to get payments: This card is a prepaid debit MasterCard. It can be loaded with support payments.
• Making arrangements for direct deposition of the payments in the bank account

• Sending a payment through Western Union
• Dispatching a money order or check to “Family Support Payment Center”
• Making online support payment at the following website (mo.smartchildsupport.com)
• Making arrangements for automatic withdrawal from one's savings or checking account

Information helpful to FSD in Missouri Child Support

The parents can assist the FSD to provide courteous services by revealing as much of the following information as possible.

• Total financial data
• Information pertaining to the other parent like:
  • Home address
  • Employer
  • Other income sources
• Legal documents like
  • Support payment records
  • Divorce decrees
  • Marriage certificate
  • Birth certificates
• Alterations in health care coverage, address and/or job

This program provides the following services:

• Establishing paternity
• Locating parents
• Distribution of payments
• To review and initiate modification of orders
• To monitor and enforce observance of medical and child support orders
• Establishing orders for medical and child support

Divorce proves to be a strenuous time for all the members of a family in many cases. Once the legal process is over, a custodial parent may find it difficult to bear the expenses of raising his/her child. That is why, laws and regulations are formed to establish a financial partnership between the two parents so that each of them can fairly contribute in the upbringing of their child. Missouri divorce child support rules are also developed with the same purpose.

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