| A spouse or custodial parent/guardian may file a support action by appearing at the Domestic Relations Office Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. The filing party (plaintiff) must provide information on all parties (members) in the action (themselves, absent parent and children).
A support application can be mailed to you; however, you will still need to appear in the office to file the actual Complaint for Support. If you have an application mailed to you, please bring it, as well as all other required information, to the office when you appear to file the complaint.
When appearing in our office to file, it is recommended that you bring the following information with you for each party in the action: names, complete addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, employment (including the employer’s address), medical insurance information, driver’s license, and any professional licenses. If a separation agreement exists, you will need to provide that as well.
Completing the Pre-Intake Questionnaire prior to appearing in our office will speed up the process.
If paternity needs established (see Paternity section below), then also completing the Mother's Questionnaire will help decrease your waiting time.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY LOCAL CASE
An intake officer will assist the plaintiff in filing an action for support. It will take approximately 30 - 45 minutes to complete. In order to expedite the filing process, we ask that you not bring your children with you. There are no costs to the plaintiff for filing a new support action.
IFSA (INTRASTATE FAMILY SUPPORT ACT) – FILING TO ANOTHER COUNTY
If the defendant resides out of county and you wish to file to that county, you may need to make an appointment to file. Please contact the office prior to coming in to file. IFSA (Intrastate Family Support Act) complaints can take an hour or more to complete. Please bring the same information that you would bring for a local complaint as well as your three (3) most recent pay stubs.
UIFSA (UNIFORM INTERSTATE FAMILY SUPPORT ACT) – FILING TO ANOTHER STATE
If the defendant resides out of state and you wish to file to that state, you may need to make an appointment to file. Please contact the office prior to coming in to file. UIFSA (Uniform Interstate Family Support Act) complaints can take an hour or more to complete. Please bring the same information that you would bring for a local complaint as well as your three (3) most recent pay stubs and your children’s birth certificates.
If there is or has already been an order entered in another state, please bring a copy of that support order with you when you file.
PATERNITY
If the children for whom you are filing for support were born out of wedlock, and the alleged father has not previously acknowledged paternity, the issue of paternity will need to be established prior to entering an order for support. This office will assist in establishing paternity for your children via either genetic testing or both parties entering into an Acknowledgment of Paternity. If genetic testing is requested, you will be informed of the procedure and the cost at the support/paternity conference where you will also be served with an order to appear for testing.
If the defendant has previously acknowledged paternity for a child born out of wedlock, please bring a copy of the acknowledgment with you at the time of filing.
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