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A Guide to Child Custody Payments in Tennessee

Divorce is a painful, but probably an inevitable decision that you and your spouse had to take for your mutual welfare. But you can rest assured in the fact that you’re not alone as more than 827,000 divorce cases happen every year on an average in the United States.

During this emotionally trying time, a lot of questions can come up about child custody, payments, and more. You probably have a child custody lawyer who has fought for you and has gotten a favorable deal, in which case, you can call yourself lucky. But for the many people who didn’t have the privilege of an excellent child custody lawyer, we have compiled answers to some questions you may have in this regard. These answers are based on Tennessee’s Rutherford and Murfreesboro child custody laws.

Receiving Child Support

A common question that many people is when can they expect child support from their ex-spouse. In general, this process can take about three weeks after the final judgment is pronounced by the judge that would include the payment schedule, amount, and more.

If you haven’t received child support or if you’re apprehensive, you can always reach out to a child custody lawyer who can send a Notice of Income Assignment to your spouse’s employer. Further, the child custody lawyer can also file the State Demographic Sheet to the State Disbursement Unit in Nashville. All this will ensure that the child support payment will be automatically deducted from your ex-spouse’s paycheck from the next immediate pay.

Non-payment of Child Support

If you haven’t been getting the child support as per your divorce judgment, you can approach a child custody lawyer to take legal action. You can also call the Child Support Office at 615-898-8002 and request them to take over. There is a service fee associated and this is around $77 plus taxes.

Information about Child Custody Payments

When you want to know how much money is being paid by your ex-spouse towards child custody or the regularity of the payments, reach out to the State Disbursement Unit as they can give you the exact information you want. Alternately, visit the Tennessee government site and print out the child support payment record directly.

Paying for Child Custody

Do you have to pay child custody payments to the State Disbursement Unit? If so, the easiest way is to go to the online website, navigate to the child custody section, and make a payment. Of course, you’ll have to enter your social security number and TCSES case number to proceed. If that feels cumbersome, feel free to mail a check to the State Disbursement Unit at Nashville with all your details and this will be automatically sent to the right account.

Stopping Child Custody payments

When your child has turned 18 or has graduated from high school, you can stop making the payments. For this, reach out to an experienced child custody lawyer to file a Petition to Terminate. You can also file a joint petition along with the original order to schedule a hearing.

If you have any other questions related to child custody support, feel free to reach out to lawyers in Murfreesboro and Rutherford counties in Tennessee.