Questions About Child Support

To apply for child support services on an existing case, print the Application for Child Support Services.*

To begin a new child support case, print the Parent Application for Child Support Services. *

If you are unable to print the Application for Child Support Services or Parent Application for Child Support Services you may call Customer Service at 414-615-2593 and request that one of these forms be mailed you.

After you have entered all of the requested information, mail or bring the completed form to:

Milwaukee Child Support Services

John P Hayes Center

901 North 9th Street

Room 101

Milwaukee, WI 53233

* Information provided on this form and attachments may be shared with others only for purposes of the administration of the child support program and other related programs [Wis. Stat. 49.83].

There is no fee. However, a fee may be charged for some specialized child support services. Learn more about Child Support Fees.

A child born outside of marriage will not have a legal father unless a paternity acknowledgment form is filled out or paternity is established through a court hearing. Establishing legal fatherhood is in the best interest of the child. Paternity establishment creates the legal relationship between a child and his or her father.  It gives the child inheritance rights, access to future benefits through the father (social security, veterans benefits, etc.), and access to the medical history of the father. 

If you receive W-2, Child Care, CTS, BadgerCare Plus, Substitute Care or Kinship Care for your child, the State of Wisconsin requires you to cooperate with paternity establishment efforts. Failure to cooperate may result in your benefits being sanctioned, unless you have good cause not to cooperate and you file a Good Cause Claim.

Paternity can be established at any time after the birth of the child. In Wisconsin, there are three ways to establish paternity:

1. The mother and father can legally agree to the paternity of the father if there is no question as to who the father is and the mother is not married. To accomplish this, the mother and father must sign a special state form called the Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgment. This form is available in the intake area of Child Support, Room 101 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
2. The Department of Child Support Services can file legal proceedings for paternity. Both the mother and father are notified of the case and have the opportunity to appear in court. Either party can ask for genetic tests before paternity is decided.
3. If parents of a child marry after the birth of the child, paternity can be established through the use of the state's Legitimation form. This form is also available in Room 101.

When a child is born to a married woman, the husband's name goes on the birth certificate of the child.

If the mother and father are not married, the man's name will not be put on the birth certificate until he becomes the legal father. He can become the legal father through the filing of the state's Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgment form, or through a paternity court action.

When a paternity judgment is ordered, the department will notify Madison's Center for Health Statistics and the adjudicated father's name will be put on the birth certificate.

The Wisconsin Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgment form allows parents to establish paternity without having to go to court. The parents must sign and have notarized a Wisconsin Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgment form and file it with the Office of Vital Records. This fully establishes legal paternity. The father's name is then added to the birth certificate.

Filing the VPA form does not give a father legal custody or physical placement. Under Wisconsin law, an unmarried mother has sole legal custody until a court orders otherwise.

Important note: If the couple is not absolutely sure that the man is the father of the child, they should not sign the VPA form. The couple should be referred to their local child support agency for genetic testing.

This form can be used when the mother and father can legally agree to the paternity of the father, there is no question as to who the father is and the mother is not married. Our office will explain to parents the consequences of signing the Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgement. If you wish to have genetic testing done before signing this form, our office can assist in setting up such testing.

If paternity is established this way, no support obligation or visitation arrangement is established. There is a separate procedure for obtaining support orders once the form is completed. If you are receiving W2 benefits, your case will automatically be referred for order establishment. If either parent does not wish to sign the Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgment for any reason, the department may be able to file a paternity establishment case.  

Our office will explain to parents the consequences of signing the Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgement form. If you wish to have genetic testing done before signing this form, our office can assist in setting up such testing.

If paternity is established by signing the form, no support obligation or visitation arrangement is established. There is a separate procedure for obtaining support orders once the form is completed. If you are receiving W2 benefits, your case will automatically be referred for order establishment.

If either parent does not wish to sign the Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgement for any reason, the department may be able to file a paternity establishment case.

When a child is born while a mother is married, Wisconsin law considers the husband to be the father (this is called the marital presumption).

If the mother states that her husband is not the father and is naming someone else, this marital presumption must be overcome before another man can be found to be the child’s father.

When a paternity case is started in this situation, the law requires that the husband be notified of the court date, time and location. The notice is sent to the husband by certified mail. If he wishes to claim that the child is his, he must appear for the court hearing.

An attorney called a guardian ad litem (GAL) is appointed by the court to represent the child’s best interest and after an investigation, recommends to the court if the marital presumption should be overcome. Genetic testing may be requested by the GAL and may be ordered by the court.

Yes, a possible father can request an appointment for a paternity interview. Call (414) 278-5200 to schedule an appointment.  

It may be possible to get paternity established, but this must be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Helpful information to gather before an interview to determine the possibility of establishing paternity includes but is not limited to:

• Copy of the death certificate or facts such as where, when and how the person died.
• Names and addresses of relatives of the deceased such as parents, brothers or sisters will also assist in establishing paternity.

If paternity was established in the other state, paternity cannot be established in Wisconsin.

If you are not sure if paternity was established in the other state, we will contact the other state and request that they check their records to see if paternity has been established there.

If paternity was not established in the other state, the paralegal will decide, based on information you provide, whether we are able to start a Wisconsin case or if we need to start an interstate case.

To request an appointment for paternity establishment services, call (414) 278-5200.

Bring information concerning the absent parent, including:

• Address
• Social security number
• Date of birth
• Place of employment
• Any other information that will be helpful in locating the absent parent

You will also need to know facts about your child's birth:

•  Birth weight
•  Name of the hospital where the child was born 

The length of time for an interview will vary. It could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 45 minutes per child.  

There are two ways a case can be set up for a court hearing:

• A paralegal may start a paternity action at the same time as the interview if we have an address for the other parent that can be independently verified. All the legal documents would be prepared immediately and a hearing would be scheduled. In this case, you will be served with your legal documents at the interview. This includes a copy of your affidavit, summons, and petition. These documents will state the date, time, and location of hearing.
• If there is no independent verification of the other parent's address, the paralegal will verify the address after the interview, and you will be notified of a hearing date at a later time. You will receive a letter informing you that a case has been started. This letter will give you the opportunity to come to the courthouse and pick up your legal documents. If you do not come to the courthouse, you will be served with the documents by our service of process agency.

The hearing is held in a small, private room. The mother, the man who may be the father, the court commissioner, and the child support attorney will be there. The child support attorney represents the State of Wisconsin, not the mother or father. The mother or father may bring his or her own attorney. Factual information will be discussed and verified. Once this is done, the parties will have the opportunity to either admit or deny that the man is the father of the child. There are several possible outcomes:

• The man may admit to being the father. A judgment will be entered and he is legally adjudicated as the father. Custody, placement, and support orders may be made.
• The man may admit that he is the father subject to genetic testing. The mother, child and the man will be scheduled for genetic testing and a new court date will be scheduled.
• If the man denies that he is the father, genetic testing will be ordered for the mother, child, and man. Another court date is scheduled.
• If there is more than one man who could be the biological father genetic testing will be ordered.

If, at the time of the first hearing, a party has not been served with the court papers, the family court commissioner may grant an extension for service and the hearing will be adjourned to a later date.

If an extension has already been granted and service of the papers cannot be completed, the case may be dismissed (although it may be restarted when the absent parent is located).

If the commissioner finds that the person who can't be served with papers is trying to avoid service, an order for that person's arrest may be made.  

The paternity establishment area in Room 101 will assist walk in appointments for sanctions Monday through Friday, from 8 to 10 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

If a mother believes that the establishment of paternity is not in her or her child's best interest, she can claim good cause for not cooperating with our office.

Examples of good cause are situations where the child is born as a result of rape, incest, or sexual assault, or where the mother fears that having paternity established may bring physical harm to herself or the child.

A good cause claim is filed with your economic support worker, not with Child Support Services. The economic worker will review the claim and the facts associated with it and then make a determination of whether or not to grant good cause.

Provide the department with a certified copy of your marriage certificate.

We will ask the Family Court Commissioner's Office to stop the support order.

You will still be obligated to pay any arrears, costs, fees, expenses and debts owed to the State of Wisconsin that were charged to your case prior to the marriage. If arrears are owed to the mother, she may provide us with a notarized statement asking that those arrears be canceled.

If you have moved, inform the Wisconsin Support Collections Trust Fund at (800) 991-5530, TDD (877) 209-5209.

You can also contact Child Support Services by phone (414) 615-2593 or e-mail [email protected] to update your address.

There are two ways a case can be set up for a court hearing:

• A paralegal may start a paternity action at the same time as the interview if we have an address for the other parent that can be independently verified. All the legal documents would be prepared immediately and a hearing would be scheduled. In this case, you will be served with your legal documents at the interview. This includes a copy of your affidavit, summons, and petition. These documents will state the date, time, and location of hearing.
• If there is no independent verification of the other parent's address, the paralegal will verify the address after the interview, and you will be notified of a hearing date at a later time. You will receive a letter informing you that a case has been started. This letter will give you the opportunity to come to the courthouse and pick up your legal documents. If you do not come to the courthouse, you will be served with the documents by our service of process agency.

The hearing is held in a small, private room. The mother, the man who may be the father, the court commissioner, and the child support attorney will be there. The child support attorney represents the State of Wisconsin, not the mother or father. The mother or father may bring his or her own attorney. Factual information will be discussed and verified. Once this is done, the parties will have the opportunity to either admit or deny that the man is the father of the child. There are several possible outcomes:

• The man may admit to being the father. A judgment will be entered and he is legally adjudicated as the father. Custody, placement, and support orders may be made.
• The man may admit that he is the father subject to genetic testing. The mother, child and the man will be scheduled for genetic testing and a new court date will be scheduled.
• If the man denies that he is the father, genetic testing will be ordered for the mother, child, and man. Another court date is scheduled.
• If there is more than one man who could be the biological father genetic testing will be ordered.

If, at the time of the first hearing, a party has not been served with the court papers, the family court commissioner may grant an extension for service and the hearing will be adjourned to a later date.

If an extension has already been granted and service of the papers cannot be completed, the case may be dismissed (although it may be restarted when the absent parent is located).

If the commissioner finds that the person who can't be served with papers is trying to avoid service, an order for that person's arrest may be made.  

Various things can happen if the potential father has been served, but does not appear for the hearing:

• If there is only one possible father, the Family Court Commissioner may find him to be the father (called a default judgment of paternity). The decision whether to enter a default judgment is made on a case-by-case basis based upon the factual circumstances.
• An Order for Arrest may be issued for the party who does not appear.
• An extension to serve the party may be granted and the case may be adjourned to a later date. Notice will be given to both parties to appear at this new time.

Yes. It is always in your best interest to go to all paternity establishment court hearings.

If you do not show up, you run the risk of the case being dismissed, a warrant being issued for you, or orders being entered without your input.

You must appear before the Family Court Commissioner during walk-in hours. The Family Court Commissioner’s office is on the 7th floor of the Milwaukee County Courthouse, 901 N. 9th Street, Milwaukee, Room 707.

The walk-in hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The paternity establishment area in Room 101 will assist walk in appointments for sanctions Monday through Friday, from 8 to 10 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

If a mother believes that the establishment of paternity is not in her or her child's best interest, she can claim good cause for not cooperating with our office.

Examples of good cause are situations where the child is born as a result of rape, incest, or sexual assault, or where the mother fears that having paternity established may bring physical harm to herself or the child.

A good cause claim is filed with your economic support worker, not with Child Support Services. The economic worker will review the claim and the facts associated with it and then make a determination of whether or not to grant good cause.

If the parents have never been married, paternity must be established either by voluntary paternity acknowledgement or paternity judgment before a support order can be made.

If the parents are married, the department can file a legal action to compel the absent parent to support the family.

If a divorce has already been filed in Milwaukee County, the department can file a motion within the divorce asking the court to set a support order.

If you already have a Milwaukee County paternity, action to compel support or divorce case with no current support order, the department can file a motion to ask that support be set if circumstances have changed substantially since the last time the support issue was in court. For example, if the absent parent was not working the last time the case was in court, no child support may have been ordered. If he or she is now working, we may be able to seek a support order at this time.

If the parents were never married, but signed a Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgement form, the department can file an action to compel the absent parent to support the child.

If an order needs to be established but the absent parent has never lived in Wisconsin, the order may need to be established by the interstate unit of the department.

Your completed application packet is reviewed by a paralegal.

Address and employment information of the absent parent is verified through the Post Office and through the absent parent's employer.

When this information has been received an action is filed with the court.

It depends on a how long it takes to verify the necessary information and what court calendar time is available. To check on the status of your case, call (414) 615-2593.

When a judge or a family court commissioner rules on a case, the child support agency cannot change that ruling.

Any party, including the agency, can ask a judge to review a court commissioner's decision. A judge's decision can be appealed to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.

THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC TIME LIMITS TO SEEK A REVIEW OR AN APPEAL. You may wish to immediately obtain the advice of a lawyer as to how to proceed. The Milwaukee Bar Association has a Lawyer Referral and Information Service. They can be reached at (414) 274-6768.

The Department of Child Support Services cannot assist you with custody and visitation matters.

The Milwaukee Bar Association's Lawyer Referral and Information Service, at (414) 274-6768, may provide assistance.

You may also visit the Milwaukee Justice Center for help. They are located in room G9 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

If you are interested in a parenting conference call (414) 278-2912, email [email protected] or walk in to the Milwaukee Justice Center to find out more information.

Under Wisconsin law, the receipting and disbursing (R&D) fee is the state’s charge for maintaining the payment record on a family case.

The fee is $65 per year for any case that has child support, family support, maintenance, birthing or medical obligations as well as the arrears (missed payments). The court-ordered payer on the case must pay the annual fee.

You may file a motion with the Family Cout Commissioner's Office to adjust your support order or you may apply for review and adjustment services in our department.

Clerk of Circuit Court charges a modification fee. You must pay the Clerk's $30 modification fee in order to file a modification motion to change your order. This fee may be waived if the court finds that you are unable to pay. (There is no fee if an agreement to change the order is signed by both parents.)

Provide the department with a certified copy of your marriage certificate.

We will ask the Family Court Commissioner's Office to stop the support order.

You will still be obligated to pay any arrears, costs, fees, expenses and debts owed to the State of Wisconsin that were charged to your case prior to the marriage. If arrears are owed to the mother, she may provide us with a notarized statement asking that those arrears be canceled.

You can only stop your child support order if you do not receive public benefits, including W-2, Child Care, BadgerCare Plus, Substitute Care, Kinship Care and Caretaker Supplement.

If you do not receive public benefits, you may sign a Stipulation and Order form with the other parent and send it to the Family Court Commissioner in Room 707 for approval.

Stipulation and Order forms may be downloaded, picked up in the Child Support Office room 101 or Family Court Commissioner's Office room 707 of the Courthouse.

You must provide the Department of Child Support Services with a copy of the order terminating your parental rights for the current support obligation on your case to be stopped.

You will continue to be responsible for any arrears, costs, and interest on your case that accrued before your parental rights were terminated.

You will receive billing notices until all debts are paid in full.

If you have moved, inform the Wisconsin Support Collections Trust Fund at (800) 991-5530, TDD (877) 209-5209.

You can also contact Child Support Services by phone (414) 615-2593 or e-mail [email protected] to update your address.

If paternity was established in the other state, paternity cannot be established in Wisconsin.

If you are not sure if paternity was established in the other state, we will contact the other state and request that they check their records to see if paternity has been established there.

If paternity was not established in the other state, the paralegal will decide, based on information you provide, whether we are able to start a Wisconsin case or if we need to start an interstate case.

If the possible father lives in another state and has never been to Wisconsin to visit, live, vacation, etc., the State of Wisconsin does not have jurisdiction and an interstate case must be started.

If the possible father has enough contact with Wisconsin to justify starting a case here, we will start a case. Whether there has been enough contact with Wisconsin is a legal decision that is made by our staff before the case is filed.

Other states may charge a fee for enforcing a case in their state. The other state sets the fee and may charge either parent. The interstate unit will contact you if you need to pay any of these fees.

Learn More About Fees

If the parents have never been married, paternity must be established either by voluntary paternity acknowledgement or paternity judgment before a support order can be made.

If the parents are married, the department can file a legal action to compel the absent parent to support the family.

If a divorce has already been filed in Milwaukee County, the department can file a motion within the divorce asking the court to set a support order.

If you already have a Milwaukee County paternity, action to compel support or divorce case with no current support order, the department can file a motion to ask that support be set if circumstances have changed substantially since the last time the support issue was in court. For example, if the absent parent was not working the last time the case was in court, no child support may have been ordered. If he or she is now working, we may be able to seek a support order at this time.

If the parents were never married, but signed a Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgement form, the department can file an action to compel the absent parent to support the child.

If an order needs to be established but the absent parent has never lived in Wisconsin, the order may need to be established by the interstate unit of the department.

If you have moved, inform the Wisconsin Support Collections Trust Fund at (800) 991-5530, TDD (877) 209-5209.

You can also contact Child Support Services by phone (414) 615-2593 or e-mail [email protected] to update your address.

Child support cases for military parents stationed overseas are generally handled as if the parent lived in another state. See Resources for Parents in the Military to find more information.

You can also contact our office by phone (414) 615-2593 or e-mail [email protected].

There is no fee. However, a fee may be charged for some specialized child support services. Learn more about Child Support Fees.

Other states may charge a fee for enforcing a case in their state The other state sets the fee and may charge either parent. The interstate unit will contact you if you need to pay any of these fees.

Learn More About Fees

Payments should begin in two to four weeks. This amount of time allows for mailing the income withholding (IW) notice to the employer, payroll processing and mailing of the payment to the Wisconsin Support Collections Trust Fund (WI SCTF).

Absent parents should begin making payments directly to WI SCTF until money is deducted from their paychecks.

Payments can be mailed to: WI SCTF,  Box 74200, Milwaukee, WI 53274-0200

If you do not receive payments within 30 days of the date an income withholding notice was sent, contact [email protected].

In the State of Wisconsin, payments are processed by the Wisconsin Support Collection Trust Fund (WI SCTF).

If you know your personal identification number (PIN), you can access information about the last two payments you made or received by calling (800) 991-5530, (877) 209-5209 toll free TDD or online via DCF Wisconsin. You should contact the WI SCTF to see if a payment has been issued to you or a payment was applied to your account.

If you think that a payment you made was not applied to your case you should order the payment record for the year in which the missing payment was made.

Match your copies of the payments you made (check stubs, canceled checks, etc.) to the payment record.

If you find that a payment you made is not shown on your account, you should send a letter to the department stating that a payment is missing. You must include a copy of the front and back of the canceled check or copies of your check stubs as proof that the payment was made.

Your letter will be investigated and your account will be corrected if the payment was received but misapplied.

You may receive your payment records free online by creating a child support online account or (if already registered) logging in to your child support online account.

You may request your payment records by calling the KIDS Information Line (800) 991-5530 toll free outside the Metro Milwaukee area or (877) 209-5209 toll free TDD.

You can order payment records by letter or by walking into room 101 of the Department of Child Support Services. Your letter should include your name, court case number, the years for which you are requesting records and payment in full of our record fee.

The fee for records is $15 per case/per year. You should also tell us whether you wish to pick up the records or have them mailed to you (in which case you should include your current address).

Instructions for reading the payment records will be sent to you with your payment records.

Under Wisconsin law, the receipting and disbursing (R&D) fee is the state’s charge for maintaining the payment record on a family case.

The fee is $65 per year for any case that has child support, family support, maintenance, birthing or medical obligations as well as the arrears (missed payments). The court-ordered payer on the case must pay the annual fee.

You may file a motion with the Family Cout Commissioner's Office to adjust your support order or you may apply for review and adjustment services in our Department.

Your notice tells you your options to contest the Child Support Lien:

• You can request that the department conduct a Financial Record Review. You must make this request within 10 business days of the date of the notice; and/or
• You can request a court hearing. You must make this request within 20 business days of the date of the notice. In Milwaukee County, you may make these requests by contacting customer service by telephone - (414) 615-2593, fax - (414) 223-1865 or e-mail [email protected], or by walking into Room 101 of the courthouse.

Support arrears are most frequently collected through the tax refund intercept program or by a court order for monthly payments on arrears. It may also be possible to collect past-due support through a variety of administrative enforcement measures, such as:

• Administrative income withholding
• License suspension
• Financial account seizure

The parent receiving a tax refund intercept must pay 10% of any collection of $10 or more, but not more than $25. The amount is taken out of the intercepted refund.  

The Department of Child Support Services never knows how much the absent parent’s refund will be. We can only tell the amount of arrears that were certified for tax intercept purposes.

Federal law mandates the manner in which tax intercept money is distributed. Currently federal tax intercept collections will first pay state owed debts. Effective October 1, 2009, federal tax intercept will pay out to the families first in the same hierarchy that is used to distribute State tax payments.

State tax intercept money will go to the family first. State tax intercept money is distributed first to current support then arrears.

If there is more than one family involved, the payment will be pro-rated between the cases and the money will first pay current support. If all families have a current support order, the payment will be pro-rated between all cases.

Under state and federal law, once arrears have been certified for tax intercept, they remain certified and refunds will be intercepted until the outstanding amounts are paid in full, even if payments are being made.

Your spouse should contact the IRS and file an "injured spouse" claim. Any and all issues relating to the injured spouse claim need to be handled through the IRS .

You can get tax intercept collection information online or, you may call the Trust Fund at (800) 991-5530 or (877) 209-5209 toll free TDD.

You have a right to a hearing on the tax intercept issue, but you must request a hearing within 20 days of receiving notice of the tax refund intercept.

You can request a hearing by walking into our office in Room 101 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse and picking up a hearing request form, or calling (414) 615-2593 and asking us to mail you a form.

Contact the child support agency and ask to enter into an alternative payment plan.

Clerk of Circuit Court charges a modification fee. You must pay the Clerk's $30 modification fee in order to file a modification motion to change your order. This fee may be waived if the court finds that you are unable to pay. (There is no fee if an agreement to change the order is signed by both parents.)

Your child support order will terminate on the last day of the month of the child’s 18th birthday, or high school graduation date, whichever is later.

If your child graduates after his or her 18th birthday, the department must be provided a letter from the high school on school letterhead stating the date of graduation to stop the order effective the date of graduation.

Child support orders will not extend beyond a child’s 19th birthday, even if the child is still in high school.

You may still owe arrears, costs or interest on your case. You will continue to receive billing statements until your debts are paid in full.

Provide the department with a certified copy of your marriage certificate.

We will ask the Family Court Commissioner's Office to stop the support order.

You will still be obligated to pay any arrears, costs, fees, expenses and debts owed to the State of Wisconsin that were charged to your case prior to the marriage. If arrears are owed to the mother, she may provide us with a notarized statement asking that those arrears be canceled.

You may withdraw your application for child support services so long as you do not receive W-2, Child Care, CTS, BadgerCare Plus, Substitute Care or Kinship Care.

This will remove the case from Lien Docket, Credit Bureau and Tax Intercept. Contact us at (414) 615-2593 or stop in our office and request a "Withdrawal from Services" form.

The removal of enforcement services does not stop existing court orders.

You can only stop your child support order if you do not receive public benefits, including W-2, Child Care, BadgerCare Plus, Substitute Care, Kinship Care and Caretaker Supplement.

If you do not receive public benefits, you may sign a Stipulation and Order form with the other parent and send it to the Family Court Commissioner in Room 707 for approval.

Stipulation and Order forms may be downloaded, picked up in the Child Support Office room 101 or Family Court Commissioner's Office room 707 of the Courthouse.

You must provide the Department of Child Support Services with a copy of the order terminating your parental rights for the current support obligation on your case to be stopped.

You will continue to be responsible for any arrears, costs, and interest on your case that accrued before your parental rights were terminated.

You will receive billing notices until all debts are paid in full.

The customer service unit responds to telephone, fax and e-mail inquires from the public. We receive in excess of 20,000 inquires per month.

When you call customer service - (414) 615-2593 -, you are given several menu options to choose from.

You may also e-mail customer service at [email protected].

The general fax number for customer service is (414) 223-1865.

NOTE: Child support case information can only be released to adult participants on the case.

For information about payments you can sign up/log on to Child Support Online Services or you can contact the WI SCTF at (800) 991-5530, or (877) 209-5209 TDD.

The best time to contact customer service is Wednesday through Friday in the afternoon.

You may also contact us by fax at (414) 223-1865 or e-mail [email protected].

Our customer service representatives answer all telephone calls.

Our office design allows the customer service representative full access to your child support case.

When any action is taken on your case this event is recorded in our database called KIDS.

The customer service area works closely with the individual units of the department, which allows us to give you case status information immediately.

In the State of Wisconsin, payments are processed by the Wisconsin Support Collection Trust Fund (WI SCTF).

If you know your personal identification number (PIN), you can access information about the last two payments you made or received by calling (800) 991-5530, (877) 209-5209 toll free TDD or online via DCF Wisconsin. You should contact the WI SCTF to see if a payment has been issued to you or a payment was applied to your account.

You should contact us if you need enforcement of your order.

If there has been no payment for one month we will begin enforcement action. The absent parent will be sent a letter notifying them they are not in compliance with the court order, and you will receive a copy. The enforcement case manager will review the case to determine if a contempt action is appropriate. If a contempt action is appropriate, a pro se contempt packet will be mailed to you to fill out and return for a contempt court date.

One of the most effective ways to enforce a child support order is for us to send a notice for income withholding to the payer’s employer.

If you have applied for child support services we will seek out new employment information and send out an income withholding notice when we find such employment for the payer.

If you have not applied for our services or are not receiving qualifying benefits there will be a $50 fee for each income withholding notice we send out. We will only send a new income withholding notice when you provide the name of the absent parent’s employer. You can report new employment by calling (414) 615-2593, option 5. You can also fax the information to (414) 223-1865 or send it by e-mail.

Payments should begin in two to four weeks. This amount of time allows for mailing the income withholding (IW) notice to the employer, payroll processing and mailing of the payment to the Wisconsin Support Collections Trust Fund (WI SCTF).

Absent parents should begin making payments directly to WI SCTF until money is deducted from their paychecks.

Payments can be mailed to: WI SCTF,  Box 74200, Milwaukee, WI 53274-0200

If you do not receive payments within 30 days of the date an income withholding notice was sent, contact [email protected].

In the State of Wisconsin, payments are processed by the Wisconsin Support Collection Trust Fund (WI SCTF).

If you know your personal identification number (PIN), you can access information about the last two payments you made or received by calling (800) 991-5530, (877) 209-5209 toll free TDD or online via DCF Wisconsin. You should contact the WI SCTF to see if a payment has been issued to you or a payment was applied to your account.

If you think that a payment you made was not applied to your case you should order the payment record for the year in which the missing payment was made.

Match your copies of the payments you made (check stubs, canceled checks, etc.) to the payment record.

If you find that a payment you made is not shown on your account, you should send a letter to the department stating that a payment is missing. You must include a copy of the front and back of the canceled check or copies of your check stubs as proof that the payment was made.

Your letter will be investigated and your account will be corrected if the payment was received but misapplied.

You may receive your payment records free online by creating a child support online account or (if already registered) logging in to your child support online account.

You may request your payment records by calling the KIDS Information Line (800) 991-5530 toll free outside the Metro Milwaukee area or (877) 209-5209 toll free TDD.

You can order payment records by letter or by walking into room 101 of the Department of Child Support Services. Your letter should include your name, court case number, the years for which you are requesting records and payment in full of our record fee.

The fee for records is $15 per case/per year. You should also tell us whether you wish to pick up the records or have them mailed to you (in which case you should include your current address).

Instructions for reading the payment records will be sent to you with your payment records.

Under Wisconsin law, the receipting and disbursing (R&D) fee is the state’s charge for maintaining the payment record on a family case.

The fee is $65 per year for any case that has child support, family support, maintenance, birthing or medical obligations as well as the arrears (missed payments). The court-ordered payer on the case must pay the annual fee.

You may file a motion with the Family Cout Commissioner's Office to adjust your support order or you may apply for review and adjustment services in our Department.

Support arrears are most frequently collected through the tax refund intercept program or by a court order for monthly payments on arrears. It may also be possible to collect past-due support through a variety of administrative enforcement measures, such as:

• Administrative income withholding
• License suspension
• Financial account seizure

Under state and federal law, once arrears have been certified for tax intercept, they remain certified and refunds will be intercepted until the outstanding amounts are paid in full, even if payments are being made.

You have a right to a hearing on the tax intercept issue, but you must request a hearing within 20 days of receiving notice of the tax refund intercept.

You can request a hearing by walking into our office in Room 101 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse and picking up a hearing request form, or calling (414) 615-2593 and asking us to mail you a form.

Your notice tells you your options to contest the Child Support Lien:

• You can request that the department conduct a Financial Record Review. You must make this request within 10 business days of the date of the notice; and/or
• You can request a court hearing. You must make this request within 20 business days of the date of the notice. In Milwaukee County, you may make these requests by contacting customer service by telephone - (414) 615-2593, fax - (414) 223-1865 or e-mail [email protected], or by walking into Room 101 of the courthouse.

Contact the child support agency and ask to enter into an alternative payment plan.

Provide the department with a certified copy of your marriage certificate.

We will ask the Family Court Commissioner's Office to stop the support order.

You will still be obligated to pay any arrears, costs, fees, expenses and debts owed to the State of Wisconsin that were charged to your case prior to the marriage. If arrears are owed to the mother, she may provide us with a notarized statement asking that those arrears be canceled.

You may withdraw your application for child support services so long as you do not receive W-2, Child Care, CTS, BadgerCare Plus, Substitute Care and Kinship Care.

This will remove the case from Lien Docket, Credit Bureau and Tax Intercept. Contact us at (414) 615-2593 or stop in our office and request a "Withdrawal from Services" form.

The removal of enforcement services does not stop existing court orders.

You can only stop your child support order if you do not receive public benefits, including W-2, Child Care, BadgerCare Plus, Substitute Care, Kinship Care and Caretaker Supplement.

If you do not receive public benefits, you may sign a Stipulation and Order form with the other parent and send it to the Family Court Commissioner in Room 707 for approval.

Stipulation and Order forms may be downloaded, picked up in the Child Support Office-Rm 101 or Family Court Commissioner's Office-Rm 707 of the Courthouse.

If you have moved, inform the Wisconsin Support Collections Trust Fund at (800) 991-5530, TDD (877) 209-5209.

You can also contact Child Support Services by phone (414) 615-2593 or e-mail [email protected] to update your address.