Child Support Intake Form & Application for Full Child Support Services

Instructions, frequently asked questions, and application for child support services.

Do I need to fill out this form?

Yes, if you want DOR’s services to establish parentage or establish, modify, or enforce a child support order. We refer to these services as “full child support services.”

Even if you do not want full services from DOR, if you have a Massachusetts child support order, you need to fill out this form because Massachusetts law requires that DOR keep a record of all orders.

There is a place at the top of the application where you can let us know whether you want “full child support services” from DOR.

Instructions

• Fill out the form.
• At the top of the form, choose whether you want full child support services from DOR.
• Attach copies of the documents we need.
• If you are completing the form in court on the day your child support order is entered, make sure that you include a copy of the court order and any agreement.
• Mail the form to: DOR/CSS, P.O. Box 7057, Boston, MA 02204-7057.

Safety and Applying for Child Support

• You are in the best position to decide whether applying for child support services will be safe for you and your child.
• When we receive your application, we send a letter to the other parent explaining that we have opened a case to establish or enforce a child support order.
• If you are not sure if child support services will be safe for you, before you submit your application, please call us at [phone] or email us at [e-mail].

What information do I have to give to DOR?

Whether or not you want full child support services, you must give us information, including your:

• Name
• Social Security number
• Home and mailing addresses
• Home and cell phone numbers
• Driver’s license number
• E-mail address
• Employer’s name and address
• Employer’s phone number

You must also tell us if any of your information changes.

What child support services does DOR offer?

• Locate a child’s parents.
• Establish legal parentage if your child is under 18 years of age. This may include genetic marker testing.
• Establish a child support and a medical support order in the Probate and Family Court.
• Enforce child support and medical support orders. This may include requiring the parent’s employer to withhold child support from the parent’s paycheck and to enroll a child in the parent’s health insurance plan.
• Collect payments and send them out using direct deposit or a debit card.
• Collect past-due child support in any of these ways:
  • Increase the amount taken from the parent’s paycheck by an extra 25%.
  • Take money from bank accounts or lottery, gambling or sports wagering winnings.
  • Intercept state and federal tax refunds, insurance claim settlements, and Workers’ Compensation and Unemployment Compensation payments.
  • Suspend business, trade, professional, recreational or driver’s licenses or motor vehicle registrations.
  • Prevent the parent from getting or renewing a passport.
  • Place a lien on real estate or personal property.
  • Report child support debt to credit reporting agencies.
  • Seek civil contempt of court.
• Review your case to see if a change to your child support order is needed.
• Work with child support agencies in other states.

You can help! We are not successful when we don’t have good location or asset information about parents or do not have copies of documents we need. Parents are often the best source of this information. If we’re not with you in court when you get your child support order, make sure we get a copy so your child support payments aren’t delayed.

If you DO want full child support services from DOR (to establish, enforce or modify your child support order)

You will have to:

• Provide the information we need for your case.
• Sign forms when asked.
• Come to court and other appointments (virtually or in person).
• Tell us before you agree to any changes that affect your child support order. This is so that we can give the court information about your child support case.
• Tell us if you get a new child support order or if your order changes.
• Look at the information on documents we send to you (such as checks, statements, court orders, direct deposit and debit card information) and tell us if you see anything wrong.
• Send us back a payment if we send a payment to you in error.
• Give us copies of documents we may need such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, court orders, and divorce orders.
• Make payments to DOR, not the other parent directly.
• Not accept payments directly from the other parent since all payments must be made to DOR.

If you DO NOT want full child support services from DOR and the court ordered child support to be paid by income withholding (having money withheld from wages):

• We will send a bill to the parent’s employer. Then we’ll send the payments to the parent who gets child support.
• We won’t take any actions if the parent doesn’t pay.
• We won’t keep track of how much is owed or when the order ends.
• You must tell us when the order ends.

If you DO NOT want full child support services from DOR and the court DID NOT order child support to be paid by income withholding (having money withheld from wages):

• We won’t collect child support payments or take any actions if the parent doesn’t pay.
• We will keep a record of your child support order. The law requires us to keep a record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay for DOR’s services?

No. There is no charge for our services.

Do DOR lawyers represent me?

No. DOR lawyers do not represent either parent in your child support case. If one of DOR’s lawyers works on your case, that lawyer represents DOR. In court, DOR lawyers present all relevant facts regardless of which parent those facts may benefit. If you choose to hire your own lawyer to represent you, we will work with your lawyer, but your lawyer must tell us if he or she takes any action on your case.

Will I have to see the other parent in court?

Yes. If a hearing is scheduled and both parents come to court or appear by video for a virtual hearing, you will see the other parent. While you can’t request separate hearing dates, you can ask to talk with DOR staff without the other parent present.

Will DOR help me with custody and parenting time issues?

No. We don’t provide services for custody and parenting time. If you need help, contact the Probate & Family Court in the county where the child lives.

Do I need to apply for full services if I want DOR to arrange for genetic marker testing to establish parentage?

Yes. If you want DOR to help you with genetic marker testing, you need to request full child support services on the application.

Can I choose how DOR handles my case?

No. You can’t choose which actions DOR takes on your case. We will decide what services are best for your case. We may handle your case differently from what you would like. We offer child support services based on state and federal law and our own policies and procedures.

If I’m the custodial parent, will DOR tell me in advance before they take any action to enforce my child support order?

No. Most enforcement occurs outside of court and happens without notice to the custodial parent.

Why do I need to give DOR my Social Security number?

We use Social Security numbers to make sure that we have the right person and to find parents so that we can establish parentage, establish child support orders, and collect child support. Federal law requires that you give your Social Security number to DOR if you have one. 42 USC Section 405(c)(2)(C).

Does DOR share my information?

We keep your personal information as private as we can. Because of state and federal law, we must share your information with:

• Other state agencies or entities: This is so we can enforce child and medical support orders. For example, if there is a medical support order we may need to give your address to the other parent’s employer so that the employer can enroll the children in a health care plan. The other parent may see these forms.
• The court: The other parent may see court documents that have your personal information on them. A judge may remove your address from court documents, but the county and state where you live will still be on the documents.

If the other parent does not know your address and you believe that disclosure of your address would create a risk of harm for you or your children, you should call us to discuss options for protecting your address.

How will I get payment from DOR?

You can receive your payments by direct deposit or on a debit card. We won’t send paper checks by mail unless there is an approved reason to exempt you from receiving your payments by direct deposit or debit card.

Massachusetts Department of Revenue
Child Support Services Division

Telephone: [phone] or [phone] (for local callers in the Boston area)

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Website: www.mass.gov/css