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Applying |
|  | Am I eligible to apply for Supportkids services? |
| | | In order for Supportkids to review your case: - you must not be currently receiving cash assistance from the state, such as welfare or TANF.
- you must have a signed court order that establishes child support. This can be a divorce decree, order establishing parent-child relationship, paternity order, judgment or other court document in which child support is ordered.
- you must be owed at least $5000 in child support.
Once we receive your case, we will review it to determine if this is a good option for you. Remember to fill out your application as thoroughly as possible. |
|  | How do I apply for your services? |
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| | How can I get a copy of my court order? |
| | | You can obtain a copy of your child support order from the courthouse in the county where your order was established. A copy of the order is normally located at either the District or County Clerk’s office. You may also be able to obtain a copy of your order(s) from the child support agency in which you have or had an open case. |
| | I am not sure if I have enough information about the non-custodial parent. Can I still apply for your services? |
| | | The more information we have about the non-custodial parent, the better. Please include everything you have about him/her when you complete your application. Your case will be reviewed, and based on the information that you provide, we will make an assessment about whether we think we can be successful for you. We know that you may not have every detail about the non-custodial parent, or that the information you do have may be outdated. We will use what you provide as a starting point and will work to fill in any information gaps. |
| | I receive payments sporadically. Is Supportkids a good option for me? |
| | | Depending on the reliability of the payments you receive, Supportkids may or may not be a good option for you at this time. Once we begin our collection efforts, all payments received will be subject to our contingency fee. It is possible that we will collect more than you are receiving now, and that we will establish more consistent payments. However, since we are unable to guarantee collection, we do not want to disrupt the payments you are already receiving, if they are coming reliably. We encourage you to call and speak with a Supportkids representative to determine whether Supportkids is a good option for you at this time. |
| | What if the non-custodial parent is in jail? |
| | | Our goal is to bring money into your household. If the non-custodial parent is incarcerated, it is very difficult to collect and therefore, Supportkids will not be able to assist. However, when you find out the he/she is out of jail, please call Supportkids as we may be able to help you at that time. |
| | What if I need help collecting child support from more than one non-custodial parent? |
| | | If you have more than one non-custodial parent who owes you child support, Supportkids may be able to help. An application for each non-custodial parent should be completed and each case will be reviewed independently for eligibility. |
| | I have another non-custodial parent who is paying me regular child support payments. Will this affect my case with Supportkids? |
| | | Part of our process involves changing your address with the state registry to reflect our address. This means that payments for another non-custodial parent will come through our office. We pass these payments through to you, with no fee deducted, but it is important to note that your payments will arrive a few days later than you are accustomed. |
| | Can the noncustodial parent discharge the child support in bankruptcy if I hire Supportkids? |
| | | No. Child support obligations are not dischargable in bankruptcy, and hiring Supportkids does not change that. |
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Acceptance |
| | What does it mean when my case is accepted? What can I do to help my case get accepted? |
| | | A case is accepted when all of your information, including your court order for child support, is reviewed and we determine that Supportkids is a good option for your case.
Please fill out the application as thoroughly as you can. The more information we have about the non custodial parent, the better. It is important for us to work together to ensure that a complete application and the necessary documents, such as a court order, are returned to Supportkids. Upon receipt, we will give your case a thorough assessment to determine whether we think we will be able to help. |
| | If my case is accepted, how long will it take to get my first check? |
| | | Each case is different, and collection is never guaranteed. However, you can rest assured that Supportkids will work diligently and as quickly as possible on your case. |
| | Do I need to close my case with the state? |
| | | In most jurisdictions we work cooperatively with government agencies, and we do not encourage our parents to close their existing cases with the state. Sometimes the work we do prompts action by the state. If our work is involved, our fees are deducted from the payments you receive. |
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Fees |
| | How much does it cost to use Supportkids services? |
| | | Supportkids has a contingency fee structure, which means you will never have any out-of-pocket fees. Our fees are retained from child support payments that we collect for you. If for some reason we are not successful, you don’t pay anything to us. Find out the fees applicable in your case. |
| | What do I get for the fees Supportkids retains? |
| | | Our services include expert case evaluation, highly skilled locate and enforcement services, negotiations with the non-custodial parent, working with state agencies, processing your payments, and continuous monitoring and renewed enforcement of your case if it is ever needed. Remember that you will never be charged any out-of-pocket fees. Read more about how we work. |
| | How do you retain fees from my child support payments you collect? |
| | | Part of our application process includes a limited power of attorney form for you to sign. This gives us permission to change the address of record for you at the state registry to our address. If payments go through the registry, they are forwarded on to us; we deduct our fee and then mail you a check. If a payment is mailed directly to you, forward the payment to us so that the payment can be processed appropriately. |
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Supportkids Performance |
| | Can you guarantee collection for me? |
| | | Unfortunately, even Supportkids cannot collect in every case. However, with over 9 years years of experience, Supportkids is well equipped to pursue any number of collection options and will work tirelessly on your behalf. The best part is that Supportkids works on a contingency basis, so we only earn our fees when collection begins. Learn more about our fees. |
| | Does Supportkids have the child support experience my case needs? |
| | | Everyone who works at Supportkids feels pride in our mission. Whether we worked at the state prior to Supportkids, have a personal experience with child support or simply wish to work for an organization that helps people, we are all here for a reason. In our management staff alone, we have over 26 combined years of direct experience in the child support arena. The tenure and experience of our staff, from top-to-bottom, qualifies us as the child support experts! |
| | How will Supportkids respect my privacy? |
| | | We create confidential client ID numbers to assure that only you can access your case information. Your personal information is never given to the non-custodial parent. We don’t sell or release client lists. Protecting your privacy is truly important to us. Read our privacy policy. |
| | How long will Supportkids collect for me? |
| | | Once we collect the first payment, we will determine how much is owed to you at that time, including all interest to which you may be entitled. The amount calculated is called the “Specified Amount” and we will work to collect that entire amount. Once it is collected, our Fullsupport clients are enrolled in our Supportwatch program. Supportwatch is an optional service that allows you to continue with Supportkids for a reduced fee. |
| | How is Supportkids different from the state? |
| | | State agencies have many processes in place for child support collection. However, since so many of them are automated, some cases fall through the cracks. In addition, since they are responsible for more than just child support enforcement, the staff at the state agencies often have caseloads that hamper their ability to give each one the individual attention it needs. Our Enforcement Specialists work each case they are assigned personally, so if there is a break in payment, they know it and can react quickly. In addition, rather than just sending letters that can easily be ignored by the non-custodial parent, we are also going to pick up the phone and attempt to make contact. Direct negotiation is a powerful tool, and one that many state agencies simply do not have the resources to use. More information. |
| | Why is Supportkids so successful? |
| | | Our focus is child support collections. Our clients have signed court orders for child support. Our highly trained and experienced enforcement specialists and professionals have manageable caseloads. We have state-of-the-art information systems. Our team gets to work quickly and effectively for you. |
| | What collection methods does Supportkids use? |
| | | Supportkids has a number of collection tools that help us succeed. They include: - wage-withholdings
- placing liens on property
- freezing assets such as retirement plans, settlements and funds received through inheritance
- direct negotiation with the non-custodial parent.
Best of all, we have the experience, expertise and resources to put these tools to work for you. |