You are the difference in your child's
future
Either a custodial party or a noncustodial parent may file
a complaint over the handling of a child support case. Complaint
forms are available at each county
Department of Child Support Services office and on the
California
Department of Child Support Services website.
The county Department of Child Support Services cannot
resolve complaints regarding actions taken by the court,
such as the amount of a child support order, custody, visitation,
or spousal support orders. Only the court can resolve these
matters.
The county Department of Child Support Services will resolve
complaints about:
- Customer service
- Timeliness of service
- Payment and billing issues
- Decisions to close a child support case
Important!
Complaints about court services cannot be resolved by the
county Department of Child Support Services. See the Family
Law Facilitator at the courthouse, an advocate, or a lawyer
for help in resolving these issues.
Complaint Resolution Process
The county Department of Child Support Services is required
to respond to every complaint - in writing - within 30 days.
If a complaint cannot be resolved within 30 days, the county
Department of Child Support Services may extend the time
for resolving a complaint up to a maximum of 30 additional
days. If the period for resolving a complaint is extended
for any reason, the county Department of Child Support Services
will mail a notice stating the reason for the extension.
State Hearing
Some complaint decisions made by the county Department
of Child Support Services can be appealed to a State Hearing.
Only the following issues are subject to State Hearing:
- Denial of child support services
- Child support services not provided timely or in the
manner required by law
- Incorrect or missing support payments or the amount
of arrears owed
- Decisions to close a case
Requesting a State Hearing
Forms
to request a State Hearing are available at each county
Department of Child Support Services office or on-line
from the State Hearing Office website at http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/shd
or by calling toll-free (866) 289-4714.
The county Department of Child Support Services will assist
a custodial party or noncustodial parent in requesting a
State Hearing. Instructions for requesting a State Hearing
are included on all complaint resolution forms used by the
county Department of Child Support Services.
Important!
You will be notified of the date, time and place of the
hearing. If you are unable to attend, ask for a new hearing
date or for the hearing to be held by telephone.
Important Complaint Resolution Dates!
- You must file your complaint within 90 days of the date
you knew, or should have known, about the subject of your
complaint.
- You must request a State Hearing within 90 days of the
date of the written decision of the county Department
of Child Support Services on your complaint.
- If the county Department of Child Support Services does
not respond to your complaint in writing, you must request
a State Hearing within 90 days from the date of your complaint
to the county Department of Child Support Services.
