Paternity Suits

The agency provides legal services for parents who are responsible for minor children to obtain court-ordered child support to which they are entitled. Services include administrative entities, child support assistance/enforcement, child support wage assessment assistance, paternity suits, reverse paternity actions, and support orders. Geographic restrictions apply.

The services available include establishing paternity in court; locating absent parents; obtaining court orders for child support, health insurance and other coverage; and enforcing court orders against absent parents in California, other states and in some foreign countries.

Staff investigate, file, process, and prosecute both civil and criminal complaints related to the failure of an absent parent to provide support for children. Assistance is available for any parent even if the parents are not legally separated or divorced or were never married, and regardless of whether the parent receives public assistance.

Appearances at court hearings may be involved. Support orders are enforced, if necessary, through wage assignments, liens against real property and benefits, interception of tax refunds and unemployment benefits and other methods. In instances in which the absent parent refuses to pay child support, a criminal complaint may be filed and the parent may be fined and/or incarcerated. Child support collected for people who receive TANF reimburses the county for the public assistance; any amount remaining is given to the custodial parent.