Child Support Collections and Enforcement

Overview

Probation Child Support Enforcement helps ensure the welfare and safety of children, families and communities in New Jersey by working with both parents to collect timely, consistent court-ordered child support, alimony and medical support. Probation is responsible for taking enforcement action when court-ordered current or past-due support is not being paid, or court-ordered health care coverage for a dependent child is not being provided.

Some of the ways Probation enforces unpaid child support obligations:

• Income withholding
• Enforcement hearings
• Bench warrants
• Suspended driver’s, occupational, or recreational licenses
• Seizure of cash or cash-equivalent assets in bank accounts
• Intercept federal or state tax refunds
• Report judgments
• Credit bureau reporting
• Liens attached to property and assets
• Seizure of proceeds from lawsuits
• Passport denial
• Lottery interception

What the program can do for you:

• Locate parents who have been ordered to pay child support, known as obligors
• Establish paternity
• Establish and enforce support and medical orders
• Collect support payments on behalf of parents to whom support is owed, known as obligees.

Download the Guide to Child Support Enforcement in NJ to learn more.

Phone: 1-877-NJKiDS1 (877-655-4371)
Fax: 609-984-3630

Customer Service

Child Support Client Services ensures that child support customers receive timely responses to questions and complaints.

By phone:

If you are not satisfied with the quality of service that you have received on your case, call the New Jersey Family Support Services Center toll free customer service number, 1-877-NJKiDS1 (877-655-44371) . The automated phone system is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to filing a complaint, you can obtain child support case information such as payments, case balance, court dates and results, debit card information, request forms, payment options, and how to apply for child support services.

Online:

You also can visit the New Jersey Child Support website for additional information and case updates.

By mail:

Probation Child Support Client Services also can be contacted if you have a complaint or inquiry about the quality of service you have received. Your concerns must be stated in writing, which will help explain your issue, give you a written record, and make it easier for staff to investigate your issue and try to resolve your complaint.

The following information should be included in your correspondence:

• Your name, address and daytime phone number
• Your child support case number
• A description of the nature of the complaint, issue or question to be answered
• The name or names of the individuals who are the subject of the complaint (if applicable)
• Any other information such as dates of prior communication or documentation that may assist probation staff.

When you write to Probation Child Support Client Services, send copies, not originals, because submitted materials will not be returned. You should keep a copy of any correspondence you send to us. If you prefer, you may fax your writing and supporting documentation to  Fax: 609-984-3630

For cases in which both parents reside in New Jersey, use this address:

For cases in which one or both parents reside outside of New Jersey, use this address:

Please note that due to State and Federal regulations governing the confidentiality of child support information, child support case related information may not be disclosed to third parties such as a current spouse, family member or friend, attorney, or elected official, except as authorized by law, court order, or written authorization by a party to the case. Confidential information includes any personal or case-related information about a customer, including but not limited to, Social Security number, address or other location information, and income information.

It is our goal to resolve all matters as quickly and efficiently as possible, however, response times will vary from case to case. At the conclusion of our investigation, you will be notified in writing of the outcome of our investigation into your complaint or inquiry.

You may also contact your local Probation Customer Service Office if you have a complaint or inquiry about the quality of service you have received. You can contact your local office in person, by phone, or by mail or by fax.

Local Customer Service Offices

Intergovernmental Central Registry

Each state child support agency has a unit responsible for receiving, distributing, and responding to inquiries on child support cases involving other states, countries and tribes. In New Jersey, those cases are managed by the Intergovernmental Central Registry within the Office of Probation Services.

Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) 2008

Under federal law, all states must have uniform procedures for processing child support cases from other states, countries and tribes.

Hague Convention

The United States is one of many countries that have agreed to uniform procedures for processing child support cases internationally under the Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance.

Read more about UIFSA and International Case Processing

Contact the Intergovernmental Central Registry:

Phone: 609-815-3820
Fax: 609-984-3630

By mail:

Termination of Child Support

Under New Jersey law, current child support orders end without the need for a hearing when:

• The child reaches 19 years of age;
• The child dies;
• The child marries; or
• The child enters military service.

When any of these termination events occur, documentation must be provided to Probation. If back child support is owed when the child support obligation terminates, the non-custodial parent still is responsible for paying off the arrears. Probation will continue to enforce the amount past due as an arrears only case. Both parties will be sent an updated order reflecting this change.

If no back child support is owed when the child support obligation terminates, both parties will be sent an updated order reflecting that the support obligation has ended as of the date of the termination event.

Continuation is possible if:

• The child is under 23 years old and enrolled full-time in high school, college, vocational school or graduate school;
• The child cannot support himself or herself because of a physical or mental disability that existed before age 19;
• The parents reach a separate agreement; or
• The court grants a continuation due to another reason.

Exceptions to the law:

• There is a court order that states a different time that the child support should be terminated.
• The child is placed outside the home by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency in the Department of Children and Families.
• The custodial parent submits a written request and required proof before the child’s 19th birthday.

Arrears:

The Child Support Enforcement Unit will continue to monitor and enforce the collection of child support payments that remain outstanding even after the termination. If there are remaining arrears after the support order ends, the new arrears repayment amount will be a combination of the prior order and arrears payback amount.

Support for children over age 23:

The Termination of Child Support Law, N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56.67 was amended effective December 1, 2020, to allow for continuation of support beyond the age of 23 for certain circumstances. Continuation beyond the child’s 23rd birthday is permissible if the child has a severe mental or physical incapacity that causes the child to be financially dependent on a parent.
 
Either party may file a motion/application with the court for the continuation of child support and IV-D services beyond the child’s 23rd birthday. Upon review of the testimony, the court will make a determination and if granted, Probation will continue to monitor the case until the termination date set by the court. When a case is approved for support beyond 23, the case can either be Title IV-D or monitoring-only services based on the IV-D Application.

Call NJKiDS at 1-877-655-4371 for information about your child support case.

Requesting continuation of child support under the termination law:

• Both parents will receive a notice that child support and/or medical support are scheduled to end.  A second notice is sent 90 days later.
• Only the obligee—the parent receiving child support—may submit a child support or medical support continuation request if the child meets one of the legal exceptions.
• Follow the instructions on the notice to submit a written continuation request.
• To be considered, the request must meet one of the exception criteria included on the Request for Continuation of Support form.
• Six months before a child’s 19th birthday the parties are sent a notice that child support and/or medical support is scheduled to end. A second notice is sent 90 days later. The notice includes the date the support is scheduled to end and instructions about how to submit a written continuation request. The request must meet the guidelines on the Request for Continuation of Support form.
• Either the obligor or the obligee may propose a different termination date by submitting an existing order, for example a judgment of divorce.
• The continuation request is reviewed by Probation. If approved, an order is sent to the parties with a new termination date. Ninety days before the new termination date, a notice will be sent to the parties.
• If the continuation request is denied, a notice is issued with the termination date and explanation.
• Either party may file a motion to request a continuation for other exceptional circumstances or if the original continuation request is denied.
• The obligor may file a motion/application to challenge an approved continuation request.
• The termination or continuation process may proceed while the court action is being decided.
• When there is no continuation request, no action by the parents is required. The termination automatically will take effect on the date in the notice.

How will I know the obligation to pay child support and/or medical support has stopped?

By phone: Call 1-877-NJKiDS1 (1-877-655-4371) automated line. This can only be done on a touch-tone phone. Have your child support case number ready.

Online: Go to Case Information. You will need your child support Member ID and your PIN.

Contact your local Probation customer service office; or

Both parties will receive a copy of the court order terminating support.

Check your paperwork to see if the termination date was included in a court order. Here are some examples:

• A judgment of divorce may include a specific date or event when support will end.
• A Termination of Child/Medical Support Obligation order includes a termination date.
• When a case is closed, a Uniform Summary Support Order may be sent to both parties. The order includes a notation that the obligation to pay support has ended.

Resources

There are a number of resources to help you with child support in probation cases.

Use the Following Forms and Brochures

Complete the Warrant to Satisfy Judgment - Child Support form and file with the court to have a child support lien removed from your property after all of your child support obligations have been paid.

The Judgments and Child Support Enforcement Brochure provides a guide to probation and child support. It defines a judgment and answers frequently asked questions about the judgment process.

Download Your Guide to the New Jersey Judiciary Child Support Enforcement Program. This guide provides definitions of common child support terms, actions the courts will take to ensure that child support payments are made, and information on how to ask the court to change the amount of a support order.

If you are an attorney, or you hire an attorney, use A Lawyer's Guide to Child Support Services in New Jersey. This guide offers detailed information about the laws and the child support procedures needed by lawyers to represent their clients.

Resources and Support from NJ Child Support

NJChildSupport.org provides many resources to help you. The following forms and services are available at this site:

• Applying for Child Support: Learn about the process for applying for child support.
• Automated Phone System Quick Navigation Guide. This guide provides tips for using the 24/7 automated phone system to get information such as payments, case balance, and upcoming court dates.
• Child Support Payment Options. Child support payments can be made to the State Disbursement Payment Center or by credit card, and in person at certain store locations.
• Direct Deposit Program. The New Jersey Child Support Program has a direct deposit program. Direct deposit means that support payments that individuals currently receive by check may be deposited directly into their bank accounts. Direct deposit makes receiving support payments faster and easier.
• Direct Deposit Form. Download and use the form for the Direct Deposit Program.
• If you do not receive your support payments via direct deposit, your payments will be distributed to a stored value card administered by Way2Go.

Additional Resources

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development can help with unemployment, disability, job training and employer regulations.

New Jersey Career Services can help you find a job in order to meet your child support obligations.

The New Jersey Department of Human Services can help with other services such as support for individuals with disabilities, child care needs, healthcare, and catastrophic medical expenses for children.

During the process of establishment of a support order, a copy of a birth certificate may be requested from the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement partners with federal, state, tribal and local governments and others to promote parental responsibility so that children receive support from both parents even when they live in separate households. They are the federal government agency responsible for monitoring all of the state child support programs.