June Midpoint Check: Your Child Support Enforcement Action Plan

California Child Support Recovery System | Justice Foundation

We’re at the midpoint of June. If you’ve been following this month’s blog series, you now have a comprehensive understanding of the enforcement tools California law provides. This post converts that knowledge into a concrete action plan — the specific steps to take this month to advance your child support collection.

This Week: Confirm Your DCSS Status

Call your DCSS caseworker and confirm the following: Is income withholding active and current? Has the obligor’s employer changed? Are arrears certified for tax intercept? Is license suspension referral active? Is passport denial certification in place? Is credit bureau reporting current? Any “no” answers identify actions your caseworker should take immediately. Request each one specifically and follow up in writing.

This Month: Launch One Independent Action

Choose one independent enforcement action to initiate this month based on your specific situation. If you don’t know the obligor’s current assets, file for a debtor’s examination — the OEX process typically takes 3-4 weeks from filing to hearing. If you’ve discovered a bank account, initiate a levy. If property is involved, record an abstract of judgment. If circumstances have changed significantly, file a modification RFO. One action per month, sustained, produces more collection than periodic bursts of activity separated by long gaps.

Document Everything This Month

Update your payment ledger through June 30. File all DCSS correspondence received this month. Screenshot and save any social media activity from the obligor that shows income or assets. Save any receipts for childcare, medical expenses, or other add-on costs that should be reimbursed. The documentation you maintain this month becomes the evidence in enforcement proceedings next month.

The System That Works

The custodial parents who collect the most child support are not those with the most complicated cases or the most sympathetic circumstances — they are the ones who are most systematic. DCSS running automatically in the background, combined with monthly documentation maintenance and one independent action per month, produces more collection over time than any other approach. The Justice Foundation Child Support Recovery Kit gives you the system to maintain this discipline throughout your enforcement effort.