What kind of information do I need to establish a child support order?

  • It is helpful if you can provide the non-custodial parent’s address, social security number, date of birth, employer, bank account numbers, property holdings and investments. Look for this information in old insurance policies, credit card or other applications, state and federal tax returns, hospital records, police records and birth certificates. Also, please provide copies of any existing court orders and records of payments.
  • If you can provide the non-custodial parent’s date of birth, father’s name, and mother’s maiden name, the child support agency may be able to obtain information from the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the Veterans’ Administration, the Department of Defense, the Armed Forces, and/or the Selective Service Administration.
  • If you can provide the non-custodial parent’s social security number, the child support agency can obtain information from all state and federal files. Be aware, however, that finding a non-custodial parent through these sources make take several months.

Who can request a review for modification of a support order and how is a review of a child support obligation requested?

In accordance with 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 303.8(a), Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 405.430(6) and 921 Kentucky Administrative Regulation (KAR) 1:400 Section 3, the following individuals or entities may request a review for possible modification:

  • The custodial parent.
  • The noncustodial parent.
  • A nonparental custodial parent (i.e., grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, etc.)
  • A foreign reciprocating country or a foreign country with which Kentucky has an arrangement may request a review of their order and the request shall be treated the same as a request by another state in accordance with SSA 454(32)(A) (42 U.S.C. 654(32)(A)).

The noncustodial parent is not paying his/her child support obligation, what can I do?

Contact your child support caseworker and request that enforcement action be taken. There are many enforcement remedies that may be used by child support staff to enforce a child support order. Some examples include: court action, income withholding, denial or suspension of a driver’s or professional license, intercept of lottery winnings, intercept of state or federal taxes, and denial of a passport.

What is the age of emancipation in Kentucky?

KRS 405.020(1) provides that…“The father shall be primarily liable for the nurture and education of his children who are under the age of eighteen (18) when the child is a full-time high school student, but not beyond completion of the school year during which the child reaches the age of nineteen (19) years.”

How do I request that my child support check be deposited in my bank account?

Contact your caseworker at the Child Support office to request an application for direct deposit or make the request through the Kentucky Child Support Interactive Website: https://csws.chfs.ky.gov/csws/

What if the noncustodial parent lives in another state?

Even if the noncustodial parent lives in a different state, a child support case can be opened at the local child support office. The local child support office can work with the other state to establish or enforce the support order. The same location resources and services are available in all states. Although interstate cases are more difficult and generally take longer, new federal legislation and more computer links between states are improving interstate processing of child support.

She/he never lets me see the kids. Why do I have to pay child support?

The legal obligation to pay child support is completely separate from the issue of visitation rights. If you are court ordered to pay child support, you must do so regardless of when or if you see the children. If there is a court order giving you visitation and the custodial parent refuses to let you see the children, your recourse is to file a motion with the court asking that he/she be held in contempt of court. For questions about custody and visitation, Kentucky has established a custody and visitation hotline that is staffed from 10:00 a.m.-Noon and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Kentucky Child Support Interactive FAQ