A
Accrue / Accrual
Amount of child support that is becoming due or is overdue.
Answer
Legal document used by defendant/respondent to answer or deny the claims made in a Complaint.
Arrears / Arrearage
Past due support - may include interest.
Assignment - of right to support
Transfer of the right to collect support from one person to another.
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B
Bench Warrant
Warrant for arrest issued by a judge - usually for failure to appear in court.
Blood Test / Genetic Test
Test to determine whether a man is the father of a child.
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C
CalWORKs
California system of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families CalWorks.
Child Support
Obligation of a parent to provide for the needs of his/her minor child.
Commissioner
Special judge-like officer assigned to hear child support cases.
Complaint
Legal document used by the plaintiff/petitioner to start a lawsuit.
Conditionally Assigned Arrears
Arrears accrued and unpaid while a family was on aid become "conditionally" assigned to the custodial parent as long as they stay off aid - if they go back on aid the unpaid arrears become re-assigned to the county.
Contempt
Failure to obey a court order - punishable by fine and/or jail term.
Court Order
Order by a court - such as an order to pay child support.
Current Assistance
A family receiving aid right now is receiving "current assistance."
Current Support
The amount of support that is due or paid in any given month.
Custodial Parent / Party
Who the child/ren lives with most of the time.
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D
Default / Default Judgment
Order made by the court when the defendant doesn't file an answer.
Defendant / Respondent
Person being sued - usually the non-custodial parent.
DIB
Disability Insurance Benefits - up to 25% can be intercepted for child support.
Disbursement
The paying out of child support received by SCDCSS.
Disregard
First $50 of any child support paid goes directly to family when receiving aid.
Dissolution
Divorce.
Distribution
Disbursement of support paid according to state and federal regulations.
DNA
Genetic test done to tell whether man is father of a child.
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E
EDD
Employment Development Department - state agency that oversees employers. Pays UIB to unemployed workers and maintains the new hire registry.
Emancipation
When a child becomes an adult. In California - 18 or, up to 19 if still in school.
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F
Family Court Services
Division of the court that reviews custody/visitation issues and makes recommendations.
Family Support
Child and spousal support rolled into one order.
Former Assistance
Support owed to a family that received CalWORKs aid in the past.
FTB
Franchise Tax Board. The California tax agency.
FTB Full Collection
FTB program to collect support from all sources.
FTB Intercept
California state tax refunds which are taken by intercept.
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G
Genetic Test / Blood Test
DNA testing used to establish paternity.
Good Cause
CalWORKs recipient's request to not cooperate in support enforcement activities because to do so would be dangerous.
Guardian ad Litem
Child's legal representative in a lawsuit.
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H
Health Assignment
Court order requiring an employer to enroll a child in a health insurance plan.
HICA
Health Insurance Coverage Assignment - court order for health insurance.
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I
Income Withholding Order (IWO)
Income Withholding Order - order for employer to withhold child support from earnings.
Initiating Jurisdiction / Initiating State
State that sends a child support request to another state.
Intercept
Money taken for support from tax refunds, unemployment benefits, etc.
Interest
Unpaid child support earns 10% interest per year under California law.
Interstate Case
Support case with a parent in California and the other parent in another state.
IRS
Internal Revenue Service - the federal taxing agency.
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J
Judgment
Final order of a court in any case.
Judgment Lien
A judgment, when recorded, becomes a lien against the obligor's property.
Jurisdiction
Legal authority of a court to make orders.
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L
Legal Father
A man, who by law or court order, has the responsibility to support a child.
Lien
A charge against a property.
Long-Arm Statute / Long-Arm Jurisdiction
Law that allows a parent in another state to be sued in California.
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M
Matured Installment
Court-ordered monthly payment that has become due and owing.
MBSAC
Minimum Basic Standard of Adequate Care - an amount set yearly by the legislature as the least amount of money necessary to support a family.
Medical Support
Health insurance (medical, dental, vision, etc.) provided for a child.
MFG Child
Maximum Family Grant Child - a child not entitled to aid because he/she was conceived while the mother was on aid.
Modification
Change in a child support order - either up or down.
Motion
Formal request made to a court - such as a Motion to Modify Support.
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N
Never Assistance
Never received CalWORKs aid.
New Hire Registry
Employers must report all new employees to the state EDD.
Non-cooperation / non-coop
Failure of custodial parent to cooperate with SCDCSS.
Non-custodial Parent / NP
Parent who does not have primary physical custody of the children.
NP
Non-custodial Parent - parent who does not have primary physical custody.
Non-Welfare Case
Case in which no CalWORKs (welfare) funds are being paid to the family.
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O
Obligee / Payee
Person who is supposed to receive child support - usually the CP.
Obligor / Payor
Person who is supposed to pay child support - usually the NP.
Order
A ruling by a court - such as one to pay child support.
Order To Show Cause / OSC
Court order to make a person come to court and explain why a certain order should not be made - especially used in contempt cases.
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P
Pass-on
Amount of paid child support that exceeds the amount of welfare paid.
Past Support Obligation
Court ordered support owed for prior months when child received welfare.
Paternity
Fatherhood.
Paternity Opportunity Program / POP
Unmarried father signs a paternity paper to become a Legal Father - usually done in a hospital soon after birth of the child.
Payee / Obligee
Person who is supposed to receive child support - usually the CP.
Payor / Obligor
Person who is supposed to pay child support - usually the NP.
Pay Record
Written history of child support payments.
Pendente Lite
"Pending litigation" - usually refers to a temporary child support order.
Petitioner / Plaintiff
Person or agency that starts a lawsuit.
Permanently Assigned Arrears
Support arrears which are permanently assigned to the county.
Plaintiff / Petitioner
Person or agency that starts a lawsuit.
POP
Paternity Opportunity Program - allows father to become the legal father by signing a paternity paper - usually in the hospital soon after birth.
Presumed Income
Income which the law or court says could be earned - usually used in setting support when the true income is not known.
Primary Physical Custody
Usually, the parent who has the child/ren most of the time has primary physical custody.
Pro Per
Someone who is in a lawsuit without an attorney.
PRWORA
Welfare reform act effective October 1, 1998.
PSC
Public Service Center - receptionist/interview/phone division of SCDCSS.
Public Assistance
Welfare.
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R
Record / Recorded
The formal filing of a document by the County Recorder.
Recoupment
Collection of support to pay back welfare funds.
Registration of a Foreign Support Order / ROFO
Entering an out-of-county or out-of -state order as a Sacramento County order.
Respondent / Defendant
Person being sued for child support.
Responding Jurisdiction
State to which a case is sent for establishment and/or enforcement of support.
Responsive Declaration
Formal response made to a motion.
Review and Adjustment
Act of reviewing a support case to see if it should be modified up or down.
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S
SCDCSS
Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services, the name of the Sacramento child support agency.
Spousal Support
Order or judgment requiring payment of support for an ex-wife or ex-husband.
Stipulation
Agreement for the entry of an order or judgment to be made by the court.
Subordination
Agreement to allow another party to collect their lien ahead of yours.
Subpoena (sub-pee-na)
Legal notice requiring a person to appear - enforceable by bench warrant.
Support Order
Order or judgment requiring the payment of child, spousal or family support.
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T
CalWORKs
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (AFDC, Welfare).
Tax Intercept
Tax refund taken to pay support arrears.
Temporary Restraining Order / TRO
Order forbidding a person or agency from doing something until a full court hearing can be held on the issue.
Temporary Support
A temporary support Order - good until a final judgment is made.
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U
UIB
Unemployment Insurance Benefits.
UIFSA
Uniform Interstate Family Support Act - law for interstate support in all 50 states.
Unassigned During Assistance Arrears
Arrears accrued while family on aid which exceed the amount of aid paid.
Unassigned Pre-Assistance Arrears
Arrears accrued before family received aid which exceed the amount of aid paid.
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V
Voice Response Unit / VRU
Phone system that can give automatic information to callers.
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W
Wage Assignment
Order for employer to withhold child support from earnings.
Writ of Execution
Court order to take money or property to pay an order or judgment.
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