Nevada child support ensures that children receive financial and medical support from both parents regardless of their relationship status. The state operates a comprehensive child support enforcement program that helps parents establish orders, collect payments, and modify support as circumstances change.
Purpose of Child Support
Child support serves multiple important purposes in Nevada. The program ensures children have access to financial resources from both parents, promotes parental responsibility, reduces the burden on public assistance programs, and provides families with reliable income to support children's well-being.
The Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services administers the child support enforcement program as a family-first initiative designed to help families achieve self-sufficiency by making child support a dependable source of financial support.
Who Pays Child Support
In Nevada, the non-custodial parent typically pays child support to the custodial parent. The non-custodial parent is the parent with whom the child spends less time, while the custodial parent has primary physical custody and the child lives with them most of the time.
Both parents have a legal duty to support their children financially. Even when one parent has primary custody, both contribute to the child's needs. The custodial parent contributes through direct care and day-to-day expenses, while the non-custodial parent contributes through regular support payments.
Nevada Child Support Enforcement Services
The Nevada Child Support Enforcement Program provides comprehensive services to help parents establish and maintain child support orders.
Services Available
Child support enforcement offers multiple services to Nevada families. The program locates non-custodial parents who have moved or whose whereabouts are unknown. Staff can establish paternity for children born to unmarried parents, which is necessary before child support can be ordered.
The program establishes child support orders by working with courts to determine appropriate payment amounts based on Nevada's child support guidelines. Once orders exist, child support enforcement collects payments through various methods and distributes them to custodial parents.
When non-custodial parents fail to pay, child support enforcement takes action to enforce orders through wage garnishments, license suspensions, and other legal remedies. The program can also modify existing orders when parents experience significant changes in circumstances affecting their ability to pay or their children's needs.
What Child Support Enforcement Does Not Handle
While child support enforcement provides extensive services related to financial support, the program does not get involved in custody and visitation issues. Parents needing custody arrangements or visitation schedules must file separate custody cases with the court.
Judges handling custody cases can establish child support orders as part of custody proceedings. Many parents find it efficient to address both custody and support in a single case rather than through separate proceedings.
Applying for Child Support Services
Either parent can apply for Nevada child support services regardless of whether they are the custodial or non-custodial parent.
Application Process
Applying for child support services requires completing a child support application available from the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services. Parents can download and print the application, then submit it by mail, fax, or by visiting a local child support office in person.
There is no fee to apply for child support services. However, the program charges an annual service fee once support is established and collected. This fee applies to cases where the custodial parent has never received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Annual Service Fees
Nevada child support enforcement charges an annual fee when more than a specified amount has been collected and distributed during the federal fiscal year running from October 1 through September 30. Currently, when collections exceed $550, the program charges $35 per case per year.
This fee only applies to non-TANF cases. Families currently receiving or who previously received cash assistance through TANF do not pay the annual fee. The fee helps offset the costs of providing child support services while keeping initial access free for all parents.
Receiving Child Support Payments
Nevada processes all child support payments through the state system rather than having parents exchange money directly.
Payment Collection and Distribution
The State of Nevada collects child support payments from non-custodial parents and distributes them to custodial parents. This centralized system ensures accurate tracking, provides documentation of all payments, and simplifies enforcement when payments are missed.
Employers send withheld child support payments directly to the state child support program, which then distributes them to custodial parents. This process protects both parents by creating clear payment records that prevent disputes about whether payments were made.
Payment Methods
Nevada has changed its payment distribution system. Custodial parents receiving child support now receive payments via the Way2Go Card prepaid Mastercard. This replaced the previous USBank ReliaCard system.
Parents can also choose to receive child support payments through direct deposit to their bank accounts. This option provides immediate access to funds without needing to manage a separate prepaid card. Parents can set up or change their payment method through the Child Support Customer Service Portal.
Child Support Customer Service Portal
Nevada provides online tools that make managing child support cases more convenient for parents.
Portal Features
The Child Support Customer Service Portal allows parents to view case information, check payment history, review notices from the child support office, apply for services online, and update contact information and other case details.
This online access gives parents 24-hour convenience to monitor their cases, verify payments, and communicate with child support staff. The portal enhances transparency and helps parents stay informed about their child support situations.
Employer Services Portal
Nevada also operates an Employer Services Portal that allows employers to manage child support income withholding orders efficiently. Employers can view and respond to income withholding orders, verify employment information, update employee and company information, and submit payments electronically.
This system streamlines the process for employers who must withhold child support from employees' wages, reducing administrative burden while ensuring accurate and timely payments.
Establishing Child Support Orders
Before child support enforcement can collect payments, a legal child support order must be established.
Court-Established Orders
Child support orders are established through court proceedings. Parents going through divorce or legal separation typically have child support addressed as part of those proceedings. The judge determines appropriate support amounts based on Nevada's child support guidelines.
Parents who were never married can establish child support through separate proceedings in family court. These cases often involve establishing paternity first, then determining appropriate support amounts.
Paternity Establishment
For children born to unmarried parents, paternity must be legally established before child support can be ordered. Nevada child support enforcement assists with paternity establishment when needed.
Paternity can be established voluntarily when both parents agree and sign legal documents acknowledging the father's parentage. When paternity is disputed, genetic testing can be ordered to determine biological parentage with scientific certainty.
Enforcing Child Support Orders
When non-custodial parents fail to pay court-ordered child support, Nevada child support enforcement uses various tools to collect overdue support.
Wage Garnishment
Income withholding represents the primary method for collecting child support. Employers automatically withhold child support from the non-custodial parent's paycheck and send payments directly to the state child support program.
Wage garnishment ensures regular, consistent payments without requiring the non-custodial parent to remember to make payments or the custodial parent to pursue collection each month. Most child support orders include automatic income withholding provisions.
License Suspension
Nevada can suspend various licenses when parents fall significantly behind on child support payments. Driver's licenses can be suspended, preventing non-paying parents from driving legally until they bring their accounts current or establish payment plans.
Professional and occupational licenses may also be suspended. This enforcement tool can be particularly effective because many people cannot work in their professions without valid licenses, creating a strong incentive to pay support.
Tax Refund Intercepts
The child support program can intercept federal and state tax refunds to collect past-due support. When non-custodial parents owe substantial arrears, their tax refunds are redirected to pay down overdue child support obligations.
This enforcement method can recover significant amounts of past-due support, particularly when parents receive large refunds or stimulus payments from the IRS.
Modifying Child Support Orders
Child support orders can be modified when circumstances change significantly.
Grounds for Modification
Nevada allows child support modification when there are substantial changes in circumstances affecting either parent's financial situation or children's needs. Significant income changes, job loss, serious illness, changes in custody arrangements, or changes in children's expenses may justify modification.
The child support program offers automatic review of support orders every three years upon request from either parent. This ensures orders remain appropriate as children grow and circumstances evolve.
Modification Process
To modify child support, parents must file a motion with the court that issued the original order. Both parents receive notice and opportunity to present information about current circumstances. The court then applies current child support guidelines to determine if modification is warranted.
Modifications typically take effect from the date the motion is filed, not retroactively. Parents experiencing financial hardship should file for modification promptly rather than simply stopping payments, as unpaid support accrues as arrears with interest.
Contacting Nevada Child Support Offices
Nevada maintains child support offices throughout the state to serve families in different regions.
Clark County Offices
Clark County residents can access child support services at the Las Vegas office located at 1900 East Flamingo Road, Suite 100. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding state holidays.
The Clark County District Attorney's Family Support Division works closely with the state child support program to locate parents, establish paternity, establish and enforce child support orders, and collect arrearages.
Northern Nevada Offices
Parents in northern Nevada can access child support services through offices in Reno and other northern locations. Office hours and locations can be found through the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services website or by calling the child support information line.
Statewide Access
Regardless of location, all Nevada parents can access child support services. Rural residents may need to travel to regional offices or can manage many aspects of their cases through mail, phone, and the online Customer Service Portal.
Benefits of Using Child Support Enforcement
Working with Nevada's child support enforcement program provides numerous advantages over attempting to manage child support privately.
Professional Assistance
Child support enforcement staff have expertise in locating parents, establishing orders, and collecting payments. They handle complex legal procedures and use enforcement tools not available to private individuals.
The program's resources for locating parents include access to databases and information sources that help find non-custodial parents who have moved or are intentionally avoiding their obligations.
Reliable Payment Processing
The state payment processing system ensures accurate tracking of all payments. Both parents receive documentation of payments made and received, preventing disputes about payment history.
Centralized processing also means custodial parents receive payments consistently without depending on non-custodial parents to remember payment due dates or send payments directly.
Enforcement Authority
Child support enforcement has legal authority to use powerful enforcement tools including wage garnishment, license suspension, and tax refund intercepts. These remedies are far more effective than private collection efforts.
The program's backing by state law and courts gives it leverage that individual parents lack when trying to collect support on their own.
Nevada's centralized payment system ensures reliable distribution of child support through prepaid cards or direct deposit, with online portals providing convenient access to case information and payment history. When parents fail to pay, enforcement tools including wage garnishment, license suspension, and tax refund intercepts help collect overdue support.