Child Support

Duties and Responsibilities

The purpose of the Decatur County Office of Child Support is to assure payment of child support for the benefit of children. This office does not represent either the father or mother of the child.

By law, the only issue for which this office has jurisdiction is child support. The Child Support Office cannot become involved in property settlement disputes, child visitation disputes or other family law issues. You need your own private attorney for those issues.

This office will determine and establish paternity for the benefit of any child who does not have a legally declared father and also pursue that father for appropriate payment of support.

For the rules and guidelines for establishing child support in Indiana, see: www.in.gov/dcs/support/forms.

For forms used in the Indiana courts to calculate child support obligations, see: www.in.gov/dcs/support/forms.

To calculate the amount of child support that applies to your specific situation, use the "child support calculator" that you can download on to your own computer, see: www.in.gov/judiciary/childsupport.

This website also provides information and forms for calculating the following:

  • Modifying existing child support
  • Parenting (visitation) time credit to be applied towards payment of child support
  • Calculating child support and college expenses

Go to this same website and use the appropriate button that marks these specific topics.

This link also provides the "direct deposit form" that a custodial parent must submit to receive child support payments in the future. Beginning sometime in 2007, all child support payments will be distributed and paid from the following:

Department of Child Services
State Central Collection Unit
P.O. Box 6219
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6219

Employers Information

Indiana is establishing a central child support collection and payment office. Under this system, all child support payments in Indiana will be sent to the same place and also paid from this office. The address for the State Central Collection Unit is listed above.

An employer with less than fifty (50) employees can transmit child support withheld payments by a paper bank check, any employer with more than fifty (50) must submit those payments electronic bank transfer.

For the form for an employer to set up a child support payment account for employees go to: www.in.gov/dcs/2507.htm and use the appropriate button for this topic. This same link also provides the employer remittance form for withheld employee child support.

By law, this office cannot become involved in child visitation disputes, however, a look at the rules and guidelines used by the Indiana courts maybe helpful in understanding that issue at the following: www.in.gov/judiciary/rules/parenting

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Child Support Office become involved with property settlement disputes, child visitation disputes or other family law issues?

Answer: No. By law, the only issue for which this office has jurisdiction is child support.

Can the Child Support Office determine and establish paternity?

Answer: This office will determine and establish paternity for the benefit of any child who does not have a legally declared father and also pursue that father for appropriate payment of support.