What is Child Support, and When does it Occur in Iowa?

Parents in Iowa are obligated by law to provide for their children until they reach the legal age of adulthood. They fulfil these legal obligations through child support, which is intended for the care and well-being of the child involved. The district court of the Iowa Judiciary handles all cases relating to the dissolution of marriages in the state. Usually, during these proceedings, the court prioritizes child support and custody matters to ensure that the children’s standard of living is not affected by the parents’ separation.

The Child Support Recovery Unit of the Iowa Department of Human Services addresses child support matters such as establishing paternity, locating a child’s parent, establishing, enforcing, and modifying child support orders, etc. The department is concerned with ensuring that children with separated parents in Iowa get the financial support as is their right.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching more straightforward, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for specific or multiple records. To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the document or person involved

Third-party sites are independent of government sources and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party websites may vary.

What is Iowa Child Support?

As part of their legal duty, parents in Iowa have to support their child (or children), by paying child support. This is a court-ordered periodic payment that one parent pays to another to financially support one or more children. The primary purpose of this payment is to divide the financial obligation of raising children between both parents.

When parents share custody, the parent with the greatest income pays child support. However, unless in extreme cases, the parent without physical custody of the children makes the child support payments to the parent with custody. The state determines child support based on both parents’ net income as well as the number of children involved. The determined value is indicated and officially enforced with a child support order. This order typically indicates the following:

• Which parent pays child support
• The required payment amount
• Who is to receive the payment
• How often the payment should be made.

What Does Child Support Cover in Iowa?

Child support in Iowa covers the children’s food, shelter, clothing, care, education, and other reasonable and proper expenses based on their needs.

Additionally, according to Iowa Code section 252E.1A, child support in Iowa addresses medical support, which covers payment for the child’s health care expenses. These may consist of, prescription, dental care, and other services that may be required if the child has special medical needs.

What is the Average Child Support Payment in Iowa?

The amount of child support in Iowa varies from family to family; therefore, the average amount is based on each of these families’ net income. The net income includes all forms of regular payment, including salary, bonuses, commission, pensions, etc.

The state courts consider the following before calculating child support amounts:

• The number of children the payment is supposed to cater for
• The parents’ monthly net income
• The parenting time allocated to each party
• The custody arrangement

After considering these, the court system calculates the statutory amount using a tool called the Iowa Schedule of Basic Support Obligations. Although the court usually enforces the amount derived from using the schedule, it occasionally deviates based on specific circumstances such as the paying parent’s ability to pay. The uniform guidelines for child support calculation are detailed in Chapter 9, Iowa Child Support Guidelines. These procedures ensure that the children’s best interests are protected while proportioning the financial burden according to the parents’ respective incomes.

How Do I Apply for Child Support in Iowa?

Parents can request child support by completing the application for services form found online on the child support office website. The Application for Non-assistance Support Services should be submitted to the local Iowa Child Support Recovery Unit (CRSU). They are relatively free, and no fees apply.

Applicants can send the completed forms via mail. They can find the mailing address to the office closest to them by visiting the Offices page and entering their address. Afterward, the office location will be displayed, and along with it, the mailing address.

Additionally, parents can obtain a child support court order from the court, through the Iowa child support office. The agency can represent them, or they can get a lawyer or choose to self-represent. After the court has approved the child support, the next step is to collect child support payments.

How Do I Get Out of Paying Child Support in Iowa?

Under normal circumstances, parents pay child support until the child is 18. Occasionally, the responsibility may extend if the child has disabilities or other situations such as being in high school full time. Hence, a paying parent can get out of paying child support in Iowa when the child becomes emancipated. Asides from this situation, child support payments are non-negotiable because it is the parents’ legal obligation to support their dependent children.

However, the state can review or adjust a child support order when the order has been 24 months since it was entered, and if the paying parent’s ability to pay changes by 50% or more. When requesting this modification, the parents must provide proof of the income change. These changes must have lasted at least 3 months before the court can consider them.

What is Back Child Support in Iowa?

Back child support in Iowa are payments that accrue when a noncustodial parent willingly falls behind on paying court-mandated child support. These court-ordered child support payments are considered debts by state and federal law. As a result, there are many legal means of enforcing these payments and preventing any more defaults in the state.

How do I Get Back Child Support Paid in Iowa?

According to state laws, custodial parents can enforce compliance with a child support order through the Child Support Recovery Unit. Therefore, if a paying parent does not comply, the unit can enforce payment by;

• Filing a motion of contempt which may require te non-custodial parent to post cash bonds
• Intercepting the paying parent’s paychecks, state and federal tax refunds, and or other sources of income
• Levying from bank accounts
• State or federal prosecution in extreme cases
• Passport sanctions, etc.

Is there an Iowa Statutes of Limitation on Child Support?

When a paying parent refuses to pay child support, the custodial parent may initiate enforcement measures to ensure that the payment is made. In Iowa, there are no statutes of limitations on child enforcement orders after 7/1/1997. Hence, the custodial parent can take legal action at any time to recover back child support payments.

However, for child support enforcement orders before 7/1/1997, the statute of limitations is 20 years from the day the child support order was entered into the court record.