Child Support Services

Guilford County Child Support Services is a part of a larger state, national, and even international body with a common purpose and vision of economic self-sufficiency for single parent families. Locally our mission is to assure that Guilford County children in single-parent households are supported by their noncustodial parents.

Child Support Services supports custodial parents by helping locate noncustodial parents, establishing paternity and support orders (including provisions for medical support), collecting and distributing child support payments, and enforcing court orders (including periodic reviews for possible modifications).

Working with Child Support Services

In North Carolina, Child Support Services are available to anyone who wants or needs help in collecting child support through a network of state and locally run offices.

Individuals who receive services through public assistance (IV-A) or foster care (IV-E) programs are eligible and automatically referred for Child Support Services free of charge. Clients who are not receiving public assistance benefits can learn more about Child Support Services by telephone or by visiting any local Child Support Services office. Clients are responsible for paying up to a $25, non-refundable application fee.

Child Support Services is not authorized to help with some issues that might seem like child support, such as custody, visitation, or property settlements. Private attorneys and county Clerks of Superior Court also offer certain support services. To learn more about what assistance is available, you may contact those offices individually.

Services

Tab/Accordion Items

Noncustodial parents must be located before any actions to establish paternity and support or to enforce a child support order can take place. Name, date of birth, social security number, address, employer, and vehicle ownership information can assist the Child Support Services program in locating a noncustodial parent. Clients are a primary source of information that Child Support Services uses to locate noncustodial parents.

With these types of information, the Child Support Services program can access both state and national computer databases to assist in location efforts. Child Support Services offices in other states can also assist in locating parents and pursuing a support order.

Establishing a legal father for a child ensures certain rights for the child, such as a greater sense of identity and access to paternal medical information, social security benefits, death and insurance benefits, and military benefits.

A child support order cannot be established for a child who is born to unmarried parents, unless the alleged father acknowledges paternity or is proven to be the father. Paternity can be established by voluntary acknowledgment of paternity or by court order. The most convenient time for parents to establish paternity for their child is in the hospital when the child is born. The father must be present and provide identification to have his name placed on the Affidavit of Parentage. When this document is filed with Vital Records, both parents’ names are recorded on the birth certificate.

Genetic (DNA) testing is recommended if there are doubts regarding the paternity of the child. Blood or tissue samples may be used for testing. The most common method uses tissue swabbed from the inside of the cheek. This test is highly accurate in determining the probability that a man is the father of a child. Test results may provide peace of mind to parents who establish paternity voluntarily or may be presented as evidence in legal proceedings to establish paternity.

If paternity is not established voluntarily, legal action may be filed with the courts. A formal complaint is served upon the alleged father, initiating court action. A court hearing is held, and the court may enter an order establishing paternity.

For more information and answers to your frequently asked questions, please call us: Greensboro Office - 336-641-4227; High Point Office - 336-641-4227.

A legal order must be established that specifies the amount of support to be paid for the benefit of a child. The successful establishment of a support order depends upon several critical areas. The critical areas are:

  • Locating the noncustodial parent
  • Identifying what he or she can pay
  • Determining the financial needs of the child

States are required to develop guidelines for determining child support amounts. In North Carolina, Child Support Services Guidelines are determined by the North Carolina Conference of Chief District Court Judges. These guidelines are based on the needs of the child(ren) and on the ability of parents to pay. States must use the guidelines, unless they can be shown to be unfair to the child(ren).

The Child Support Services Guidelines are used to compute a child support obligation based on the combined gross income of the custodial parent/client and noncustodial parent. Either the noncustodial parent can agree voluntarily to the amount of support, or the obligation can be established through court action.

An obligation to provide medical support in the form of health insurance through the noncustodial parent’s employer can be obtained either voluntarily or through court action

For more information and answers to your frequently asked questions, please call us: Greensboro Office - 336-641-4227; High Point Office - 336-641-4227.

The collection and distribution of child support payments are the primary objectives of child support services. A court order for child support dictates the amount of support to be paid and how often it should be paid.

All child support payments handled by N.C. Child Support Services are sent to the Centralized Collections Operation. Payments are received by various methods, such as:

  • Direct payments
  • Income withholding
  • Interception of tax refunds

Child support payments are distributed and disbursed based on federal regulations and state statutes. Then the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) mails the checks to the appropriate payees. For more information and answers to your frequently asked questions, navigate through the Child Support Handbook or please call us: Greensboro Office - 336-641-4227; High Point Office - 336-641-4227.

 

Establishing a child support order is no guarantee that the noncustodial parent will pay the support as ordered. Noncustodial parents could make partial payments, skip payments, or never make a payment. NC Child Support Services identifies these cases and uses several enforcement tools to get payment as ordered.

Income withholding by employers is the single most effective method of child support collection. Each pay period, the employer deducts a specified amount from the noncustodial parent’s income for the child support payment. The deducted amount is sent to the NC Child Support Centralized Collections within seven (7) days of the deduction.

Income withholding can also be initiated with entities other than employers when the noncustodial parent has other sources of income, such as unemployment insurance benefits (UIB), Worker’s Compensation, Social Security benefits, and veteran’s disability benefits.

Employers are required to withhold income for child support orders that are enforced by other states, in accordance with the laws of the state where the noncustodial parent is employed.

  • Monthly billing to noncustodial parents who are not under income withholding
  • Filing court action against noncustodial parents who have not paid support as ordered
  • Credit bureau reporting of all child support obligations handled by Child Support Services
  • Interception of state and federal tax refunds
  • Liens on real or personal property that the noncustodial parent owns

For more information and answers to your frequently asked questions, please call us: Greensboro Office - 336-641-4227; High Point Office - 336-641-4227 or navigate through the Child Support Handbook.

Other Useful Resources

Tab/Accordion Items

The North Carolina Child Support Guidelines determine child support amounts. The Guidelines are established by the Conference of Chief District Court Judges. The worksheets are the property of and copyrighted by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). Copyrighted versions of the worksheets or other forms are available on the NC Courts website

Detailed information/explanations regarding the NC Child Support Guidelines  

Online Child Support Calculator*

*Per NC Child Support, the calculation of child support involves the use of a formula which has certain variables. The most significant variables are each party’s income, daycare expenses, the cost of medical insurance, and the living arrangements of the children.

Attorneys are an important part of the Child Support Services process. Child Support Services attorneys (also referred to as “IV-D attorneys”) serve as advisors, advocates, negotiators, intermediaries, and evaluators. Although the interests of the custodial parent are often similar to those of the Child Support Enforcement agency, the Child Support Services attorney’s client is the Child Support Services agency. Of course, both custodial and noncustodial parents have the right to retain private counsel.

Useful Links

Essentials for Attorneys in Child Support

NC Statutes Related to Child Support
Find statutes relating to child support

Child Support Services Worksheets/Guidelines
Access the worksheets and guidelines that CSE uses to calculate child support obligations

Centralized Collections Operation (NCCSCC)
Federal and state laws require that all child support payments be processed at one central location. Noncustodial parents and/or their employers can send child support payments to the NCCSCC, which processes and sends these payments to the appropriate clients/payees. To view links and information

Child Support FAQs and other information from the NC Division of Social Services Child Support Enforcement

Contact Guilford County Child Support

  • Greensboro Office
    336-641-4227
  • High Point Office
    336-641-4227

Office Hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday

The Child Support Services outreach team's mission is to better educate the community about our services. We strive to raise public awareness regarding obtaining child support services, the establishment of paternity, medical and child support orders, as well as the collection and modification of child support payments.

Our team of experienced child support staff is available to visit your organization and provide you and or the public you serve, a brief presentation regarding our program. If your organization is located in Guilford County and you are interested in scheduling a speaker, please email childsupport@guilfordcountync.gov.

Contact Information

Greensboro Office

Guilford County Child Support Services
400 West Market St. 4th Floor
Greensboro, NC 27401
United States

High Point Office

325 E Russell Ave.
High Point, NC 27260
United States

Office Hours

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday – Friday