Today is the last day of May. If you’ve been following this series, you now have a comprehensive understanding of California child support enforcement — the tools, the processes, the strategies, and the documentation. What to Do Today Pick one action from the list below and do it today: (a) Update your payment ledger through…

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June’s series will go deeper on advanced child support topics — the issues that arise after the basic enforcement framework is in place. What’s Coming in June June will cover: calculating support when the paying parent is a W-2 employee vs. self-employed vs. business owner, the specific subpoenas and discovery tools used in high-income cases,…

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As May closes, here is a concrete action plan for custodial parents who want to start June with active enforcement in place. Five Actions to Take This Week 1. Pull your payment ledger and calculate current arrears including interest. 2. Verify income withholding is active — call the paying parent’s employer if needed. 3. Check…

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We close May with a summary of everything this series covered and a direct message to every custodial parent reading this. Month in Review This month we covered the complete spectrum of California child support enforcement: DCSS tools, court-based enforcement, modification, interstate cases, contempt, bank levies, property liens, imputed income, self-employment income analysis, incarcerated and…

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We close this month by focusing on momentum — the most important factor in long-term child support enforcement success. Building Momentum Custodial parents who collect consistently share one characteristic: they don’t stop. When a payment comes in, they update the ledger and move on. When a payment is missed, they act within 10 days. When…

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Child support enforcement is ultimately about children — their stability, their opportunities, and their right to financial support from both parents. This post steps back from the legal mechanics to remember why enforcement matters. The Real Stakes Children who receive consistent support are more likely to remain in stable housing, maintain continuity in school, have…

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A quick roundup of the most actionable enforcement tips from this month’s series — organized for immediate use. The Top 10 Tips 1. Update your payment ledger monthly. 2. Keep your DCSS case open even if doing private enforcement. 3. Record a property lien in every county where the paying parent owns real estate. 4.…

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DCSS is a resource — but it works best when custodial parents provide timely, accurate information and follow up consistently. Understanding what DCSS needs from you makes the partnership more effective. What DCSS Needs DCSS needs: current contact information for you and the paying parent, updates when the paying parent changes jobs or address, your…

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California courts can impute income to a paying parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed — assigning them an earning capacity based on what they could earn if working at their ability level. This prevents support manipulation through strategic unemployment. How Courts Impute Income Courts consider: the paying parent’s work history, education and training, skills…

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Every California superior court has a Family Law Facilitator — a court-based resource that provides free assistance to self-represented parties in family law cases, including child support enforcement. Many custodial parents don’t know this resource exists. What the Facilitator Can Help With The Family Law Facilitator can: help you complete court forms, explain court procedures,…

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