So you have an Order of Child Support (OCS) saying that you owe a certain amount each month – a transfer payment. Now what?
If you’re the parent who owes child support (usually, but not always, the non-residential parent), then you’re called the “Obligor” – that is, the parent obliged to pay support for your children. The other parent (your ex) , the one receiving support, is called the “Obligee.”
So how do you pay your ex? Many parents prefer to pay by directly, often because they feel it gives them some control over a situation they can’t control at all. This is usually a mistake. Obviously, if you pay by cash, you and your ex can get into a big ol’ fight over exactly how much was paid, when. Even when paying by check or money order, there are mail issues and bank issues. If only there was some way to avoid all that. Yeah, you guessed it – there is!
Your tax dollars go to fund the Washington Division of Child Support, part of DSHS. Most people think that DCS is there to help the parents receiving support, but it can help you too. How? Because it offers four different ways to pay your support, each of them tracked online. Because a DCS support enforcement officer helps to manage the process, and because payment is processed by DCS, the system actually protects you from mistakes, misunderstandings, and accusations that your child support is late or unpaid.
What are the four ways to pay through DCS?
- Check/Money Order (directely to DCS).
- Wage withholding – This is the easiest in many ways. Your payment is simply deducted from your paycheck (either once or twice a month, depending what your OCS says) automatically. It’s important to understand that this is not a garnishment, and should not be seen as such by you or your employer.
- Electronic Funds Transfer directly from your bank account.
- On-Line Payments.
Keep in mind that automatic withholding from your paycheck or automatic transfer from your bank account work best for regular, periodic payments (and for paying back support, if applicable). You may wish to make supplemental payments, such as day care, education and extraordinary medical payments by check or money order to DCS.
Regardless of which method of payment you use through DCS, the beauty is that you and your ex each deal with the support enforcement officer, not each other. Money is often a touchy subject, even years after a split, and payments through DCS can often help to make things go more smoothly.
