Uncontested Order Review
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The administrative process for child support begins with an application by a party (the responsible parent, the custodial parent, or the Department of Human Services if the subject child is receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits or Foster Care payments) to the Child Support Enforcement Agency, (CSEA) requesting the establishment, modification, termination, or enforcement of a child support Order.
After gathering information the CSEA sends the parties a proposed Order or a notice of an enforcement action. The parties may object to it by mailing the enclosed Request for Hearing form back to the CSEA. If a hearing is requested one is scheduled and conducted. If neither party requests a hearing, CSEA sends the proposed order to the Office of Child Support Hearings (OCSH). OCSH hearing officers review the orders and issue them as final orders as appropriate. The review involves making sure the parties were properly noticed and served and that the proposed order is legally correct.
Once the order is issued it is a final order with the same force and effect as a family court order. The CSEA will file it in the Family Court and send copies of the order to the parties.