Child Support

Are you a single parent who needs help paying for your child's expenses?


	What is it? Child support is money that non-custodial parents owe to the person taking care of their child. The NYC Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) helps parents get legal child support from non-custodial parents. What do I get? OCSE can provide different services, which include helping you find the non-custodial parent, establish paternity, serve summonses, get court ordered child support, collect unpaid child support, enforce payments, and increase payments. The amount of money you receive in child support payments depends on the non-custodial parent's income and how many children you have together. How long do I get it? You should receive child support for your child from your child's non-custodial parent until he/she is 21 or becomes self-supporting.


	OCSE won't help you collect and enforce payments if you already have a child support order where the non-custodial parent pays you directly. If you want OCSE's services, you must request a 'Change of Payee.' This change means payments will go to OCSE before being passed to you. You can make this change on any child support order issued by the New York State Family Court or Supreme Court without going back for a hearing.

Ask a Question
Give Feedback