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Income Withholding

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Income withholding is used to collect child support, medical support, and spousal support unless a court orders a different payment arrangement, or AutoPay is approved by Child Support. Income withholding is governed by federal and state laws and is a process through which payments for support are withheld each pay period from the income of the employee/parent.

How does income withholding work?

Employment

Child Support learns of employment information in a variety of ways including:

  • Self-report – the parent who owes support reports his or her employment information.
  • Court order – the court order that includes the support amount provides the employment information.
  • New Hire Report – employers are required to report all new hires to Child Support.

Income Withholding Order

Child Support issues an income withholding order to the employer and a copy is sent to the parent who owes support.

The income withholding order provides the amount the employer is to withhold. Child support is withheld before any other garnishment.

Employer

  • Starts withholding the pay cycle following receipt of the income withholding order.
  • Submits payments within 7 business days of withholding.
  • Withholds no more than 50% of the employee’s disposable income.
  • May withhold $3.00 per month to cover expenses.

Employee/Parent

Review your paystubs to ensure the withholding amount covers the support amount due. Make a payment to Child Support to cover any shortfall.

Employers have varying pay cycles and are not required to adjust their pay cycles to match child support orders. Parents who pay support should monitor case activity to ensure the withholding amount covers the full amount due. This is especially important with new cases or when there is a change in the support amount or a change in employment. These changes can lead to missed payments.

Example (see below): $200 due on the 1st of each month. On the 9th of the month the parent who pays support reports a new employer. Pay day with the new employer is the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. On the 9th of the month an income withholding order is sent to the new employer. The income withholding order instructs the employer to start withholding at the next pay cycle and provides the amount to withhold for various pay cycles.

Amounts:

  • $46.15 per weekly pay period
  • $92.31 per biweekly pay period (every other week - 26 times per year)
  • $100.00 per semimonthly pay period (twice a month)
  • $200.00 per monthly pay period

The employer receives the income withholding order on the 11th and withholds $100 as instructed on the 19th. The parent who pays support should make a payment of $100 to ensure support for the month is paid in full.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
 
1

$200 Due
2
3
4
5

Pay Day
6
7
8
9

Income
withholding
sent to
employer
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

Pay Day

$100
withheld
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

$100 remains due

Child Support does not track the pay cycle of every employer. Child Support’s computer system monitors for payments and alerts the caseworker after a certain number of days have passed with no payment. When the alert is received, the caseworker contacts the employer.

Parents should monitor case activity for up-to-date information. The parent who owes support is responsible for ensuring the support obligation is paid each month.