Kentucky Child Support
How to Apply for Child Support in Kentucky
Any resident of Kentucky that has physical custody of a child can contact their local child support enforcement office to apply for services. Interested parents should obtain an application either in-person at their local office or online. Once your application is received, a caseworker will be assigned to your support case. Your application will be reviewed, and you will be contacted about the next steps. Each case is unique, so some cases will take longer than others. It’s important to contact your caseworker when they reach out to you needing additional information. This can greatly expedite your application.
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How is Child Support Calculated in KY?
Kentucky’s courtrooms utilize state guidelines to determine what type of financial situation the child would experience had the parents stayed together. These guidelines take into account both parent’s gross incomes and the number of children in need of support to reach a basic obligation amount.
Kentucky Child Support Payment
Payments can be made on the KCSI website, by mail or by phone. Payments can be made using a debit or credit card, check or money order. These payments should be directed to KY Child Support Enforcement at Centralized Collection Unit P.O. Box 14059, Lexington, KY, 40512. Parents receive payments either by direct deposit to their bank account or a prepaid debit card.
Child Support Performance Stats for Kentucky
Statistics from the state in 2013 revealed that 43 percent of all families residing in Kentucky don’t get the payments they are owed. Only about eight percent of all past-due support was collected in distributed in 2013.
Statistics for Regular On-Time Payments Collection
Other Incentive Performance Measures
| Performance Measures | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide Paternity Establishment (%) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| IV-D Paternity Establishment (%) | 96.31 | 95.98 | 94.6 | 94.45 | 96.93 |
| Support Order Establishment (%) | 88.74 | 88.83 | 90.1 | 90.74 | 90.11 |
| Cost-Effectiveness ($) | 5.88 | 6.85 | 6.45 | 6.33 | 6.32 |
Total Number of Children in the Child Support Program
Total Distributed Collections and Total Administrative Expenditures ($ Millions)
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Distributed Collections ($) | 389.35 | 381.69 | 381.68 | 383.61 | 379.51 |
| Total Distributed to Families ($) | 350.48 | 344.81 | 343.3 | 346.01 | 342.59 |
| Total Administrative Expenditures ($) | 69.56 | 58.63 | 62.41 | 63.89 | 63.28 |
Average Collections per Case with Collections
Can child support be paid off early
Parents who seek to pay off their obligations early need to speak with their caseworker at their local child support office. This option may only be possible when you are not currently under an income withholding order.
What Will happen if You fall Behind Child Support Payment?
- Interception of tax refunds
- Liens on property
- Revocation of licenses
- Levying bank accounts
- Withholding unemployment or other benefits
- Court actions
- Criminal charges
Can you get alimony and support at the same time?
Yes, parents in Kentucky who are going through a divorce are sometimes awarded both support and alimony. Alimony is designed to only cover the spouse’s expenses, and the support is only meant to cover the child’s needs.
How do I stop child support in KY?
Parents can only stop making payments when their obligation has ended. Parents should ensure that all outstanding debts have been paid before terminating payments.
Child Support and Taxes
In Kentucky, parents who don’t reside together must decide which person will claim the child as a dependent for tax purposes. Most often, the custodial parent will claim the deduction and earn the tax credit since it is assumed they take on the majority of the child’s everyday living expenses.
Can child support payments be claimed on taxes in Kentucky?
Payments, on the other hand, cannot be claimed as a deduction for tax purposes in the state. The paying parent shouldn’t claim these payments on tax returns.
How does my child support affect my taxes in Kentucky?
Similarly, parents receiving payments shouldn’t claim the support as income for tax purposes. Parents can view child support as tax-neutral.
Can child support be taken pre tax?
No, payments will be collected by child support agencies after income tax has already been levied on the money.
Can child support Take my federal tax return?
Yes, Child Support Enforcement has the authority to intercept and seize any state or federal tax refunds issued to a parent who is overdue on payments.
Paternity Establishment
Paternity describes the legal relationship between a child and his biological father. Paternity may be presumed when the parents are married, voluntarily acknowledged by both parents or court-ordered when contested. This process is important because support orders cannot be entered into until paternity is legally established for the child.
How do you establish paternity?
Paternity may be presumed when the mother is married at the time of the child’s birth. Otherwise, the mother and father can both sign a voluntary acknowledgement and file it will the health department to establish paternity. Paternity may also be established by a court.
What rights does a father have if not on the birth certificate?
A child without a father listed on the birth certificate is considered legally fatherless by the state of Kentucky. He will not have any legal rights to the child.
Can a mother refuse me paternity test?
Fathers in Kentucky have a right to seek a hearing when paternity is contested for the child. A mother may attempt to refuse a paternity test, but a court may order the mother to comply when the father presents enough evidence to suggest he is potentially the father.
How to establish paternity if the father is deceased?
If the father has passed away, then the surviving parent should reach out to their local child support office for assistance. Sometimes genetic testing can be done on the father’s family members, and there may be benefits to establishing paternity despite the father’s death.
Can a father get a paternity test without the mother?
No. Genetic tests used to establish paternity require DNA from the child, alleged father and mother. If a mother is refusing to take a genetic test, then seeking a court order may be a father’s only option.
How long does a father have to establish paternity in Kentucky?
Fathers can sign a Voluntary Affidavit of Paternity (VAoP) at the hospital or by appointment at the local health department. VAOPs must also be signed by the child’s mother. In Kentucky, a motion to establish paternity must be filed before the child reaches their 19th birthday.
Support order establishment
After paternity has been established, the courts will order one or both parents to financially support the child based on state guidelines. Kentucky courtrooms go by the assumption that every parent is financially responsible for caring for their child, so once these orders are established, they are enforceable by Kentucky Child Support laws.
State Child Support orders
Courtrooms will calculate an appropriate amount of basic support, consider the medical and daycare needs of the child and come to a reasonable amount of monthly payments the non-custodial parent will pay to the parent with primary custody. Payments must go through the state agency, so custodial parents should never make payments directly to the other parent.
How do I modify child support in KY?
Yes, support orders can be modified through the courts. Either parent can request a review for modification based on the length of time since the order was reviewed or a change in circumstances.
Courts can change a current order when circumstances have substantially changed. When orders differ from the suggested support guidelines by 15 percent or more, courts will approve a modification.
How do I file for a modification of child support in KY?
Parents looking to modify current orders need to submit a written request to their local child support office. Parents will need to provide additional information about their current income, tax returns and proof of expenses.
Can a support order appealed?
Possibly. The Kentucky Court of Appeals handles any requests for appeals of decisions made in Family Court. The state generally sees financial child support as a parent’s responsibility, so the parent will have to make a convincing case to be granted an appeal.
Do you need a lawyer to modify the support?
If parents are in agreement about a modification, then they may not even have to go to a court hearing for the changes to be approved. Properly filed paperwork can allow the court to approve changes without a hearing. If parents do not agree, then it might be in your best interest to hire an attorney.
Child support Enforcement
How long does the support enforcement take?
Enforcement actions can take several weeks to begin after the child support agency has been informed.
What to do when the support is not paid?
If you haven’t received payment within 10 business days, then contact your local child support office.
What happens if you don't pay child support in Kentucky?
When you aren’t making payments, enforcement measures may be levied against your personal financial accounts, income, credit score and professional licenses.
How much back child support is a felony in KY?
The non-paying parent can be charged with a felony when they willfully avoid making payments for over two years or over $10,000.
Can the support debt be forgiven?
In Kentucky, the statute of limitations for enforcing past-due child support is 15 years after the child emancipates.
Support Order Termination
How do I stop child support in KY?
Request a modification from the child support agency or the courts.
When Can I Apply for Child Support Termination?
If your child has reached 18-years-old and has graduated high school, the state will terminate the support order. It may be possible to stop an order sooner, but you’ll need to issue a motion for modification and request a reduced amount for the child.
Can the custodial parent close a support case?
Custodial parents can close a case at any time, provided they are not on state assistance, by sending a written request to the local child support office.
When Can I Stop Paying the Support?
When the child turns 18 and has graduated high school or is legally emancipated.
The legal age of emancipation in the state is 18-years-old.
Kentucky Hearing Rights
Children, mothers and potential fathers all have a right in Kentucky to seek a paternity hearing, child support hearing or a request a hearing to review or modify a current order.
What are Kentucky Child Support Guidelines?
Kentucky’s courts use a child support guideline table to determine an obligation amount. The amount is divided between both parents based on the proportion each party contributes to the combined adjusted gross income for the family.
Kentucky Child Support Coverage
What is the support meant to cover?
Support is meant to be paid by the noncustodial parent to the parent with primary custody to help cover living expenses and provide care for the child.
Does the Support Cover Medical Care Expenses?
Yes. Health insurance must be included in any support order entered into Kentucky.
What if Both Parents are working, will Child Support Cover child care services?
Yes. Courtrooms will usually factor in work or school-related childcare expenses into the non-custodial parent’s obligation amount.
Are Car Maintenance Costs Covered by the Support?
No, the non-custodial parent isn’t required to contribute to car maintenance expenses.
What is Considered Basic Entertainment for Child Support?
Basic entertainment expenses are costs parents incur providing their child with age-appropriate stimulating activities such as visits to museums, internet games, television shows and more.
Are School and College expenses Covered by the Support in Kentucky?
No. Courtrooms have no power to obligate parental support past the child’s 18th birthday and graduation unless the child becomes mentally or physically incapacitated.
Basic school expenses are factored into the state guideline’s basic obligation amount, so these expenses are covered by payments.
Are Extracurricular Activities covered by Support?
No, Kentucky parents are not obligated to contribute additional money for extracurricular activities or similar expenses.
Useful links
Kentucky Child Support Offices
| Institution name | Physical address | Email address | Phone number | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Support Enforcement - Cabinet for Health and Family Services | 275 E. Main St. Frankfort, KY | CHFS.Listens@ky.gov | (502) 564-5497 | https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dis/Pages/cse.aspx |
County Child Support Offices in KY
| County name | Institution name | Physical address | Email address | Phone number | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | Adair County, KY Columbia Child Support Office | Courthouse, Suite 24, 424 Public Square, Columbia KY 42728 | N/A | 1(270) 384-5932 | https://csws.chfs.ky.gov/csws/General/LocateOffice.aspx?selIndex=001 |
| Allen County | Allen County, KY Scottsville Child Support Office | 115 A East Public Square, Scottsville KY 42164 | N/A | 1(270) 237-4450 | https://csws.chfs.ky.gov/csws/General/LocateOffice.aspx?selIndex=002 |
| Anderson County | Anderson County, KY Lawrenceburg Child Support Office | 216 S Main St, Lawrenceburg KY 40342 | N/A | 1(502) 839-9874 | https://csws.chfs.ky.gov/csws/General/LocateOffice.aspx?selIndex=003 |
Download Child support Forms for Kentucky
| Title | Number |
|---|---|
| Uniform Child Support Order and/or Wage/Income Withholding Order | AOC-152 |
| Federal Income Withholding for Support form | OMB 0970-0154 |
| Case Data Information Sheet | AOC-FC-3 |