Child Support Services – Questions and Answers

The state child support website includes information and resources including specific details for employers and parents. It also includes information about Colorado’s Family Support Registry (FSR). All child support and maintenance payments are processed through the FSR.

Apply for child support services online through the state child support website, or by contacting the El Paso County Child Support Services office.

If you need specific information regarding your case, you may contact El Paso County Child Support Services locally at (719) 457-6331 or toll free at (866) 270-2606.

Why must support be taken out of pay?

Federal and state laws require that support payments be withheld from income. This is true even if someone has never been behind in paymenHow are child support guidelines calculated to determine support?

Colorado uses the “income shares model,” which includes both parents’ income information to calculate the child support obligation. To compute Colorado child support guidelines, several worksheets and a chart are used.

How are payments handled if the noncustodial parent is paid weekly (or biweekly)?

The noncustodial parent may be paid weekly (or biweekly) and the court order may be set for monthly support. Parents who are paid weekly or biweekly may be under an income withholding order that tells the employer to take out some extra if the parent is paid weekly or biweekly (every two weeks or 26 times per year). This extra amount is to make up the difference in current support to meet the monthly amount set in the court order.

What happens when payments are received at the Family Support Registry (FSR)?

If a payment is received by the FSR on or after the first day of the month after the payment was due, it is treated as a payment for the next month and applied to the current support for the next month.

What happens when payments are received at the Family Support Registry (FSR)?

If a payment is received by the FSR on or after the first day of the month after the payment was due, it is treated as a payment for the next month and applied to the current support for the next month.

If payments are received by the FSR before the month in which the payment was due, it will be credited to the month before, but could possibly count as a prepayment for the month in which it was actually due if the earlier month’s current support amount due was fully satisfied. Support owed to the family is disbursed to the family the same day it is allocated and marked “prepay”; however, if the payment is for TANF reimbursement, it is put on hold and then disbursed as current support in the month for which it was intended.

The Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS), which handles active and retired military pay and some other federal pay, and Social Security Administration are exceptions, and payments received before the month in which the payments are due are treated as payments for the month in which they were due. So, if the 1st of the month falls on the weekend, and a noncustodial parent service member receives his/her pay from DFAS on Friday the 30th, the child support withheld will be credited for the month beginning on the 1st. (Note that this applies to electronic DFAS payments only and not for mailed payments.)

How can I get credit for money paid directly to the custodial parent?

Unless a judge gives you credit, direct payments are legally considered a gift. Paying through the Family Support Registry ensures that you receive credit for any payments made.

What happens if I don’t make enough money each month to pay child support?

Amounts not paid become past due. Past due amounts can be collected in many ways. Under Colorado law, your employer cannot withhold more than 65 percent of your net income (after certain deductions) for child support. However, the standard amount deducted in El Paso County is 55 percent of net income.

How are payments handled if the noncustodial parent is paid weekly (or biweekly)?

The noncustodial parent may be paid weekly (or biweekly) and the court order may be set for monthly support. Parents who are paid weekly or biweekly may be under an income withholding order that tells the employer to take out some extra if the parent is paid weekly or biweekly (every two weeks or 26 times per year). This extra amount is to make up the difference in current support to meet the monthly amount set in the court order.

During the two or three months each year when the noncustodial parent receives an extra pay check, the extra withheld money can be applied to arrearages if owed. If there are no arrearages in the case and the current support is fully paid, the money will be returned to the noncustodial parent.

This “extra” rule does not apply to semi-monthly and monthly pay cycles, as the child support is taken out twice at 50 percent of the monthly amount or once at 100 percent of the monthly amount.

How can I change my child support amount?

You may call El Paso county Child Support Services to request that your case be reviewed for a modification at (719) 457-6331 or toll free at (866) 270-2606. You may also visit your local child support office or contact a private attorney.

What if I disagree with the balance Child Support Services shows?

Ask for a payment record (print out of the payment history) and review the record. If you have questions, you may contact the record keeper for your account. You may ask to have your case validated as well.

What happens if I pay too much through income withholding?

If you owe past due child support, your employer will be required to withhold more than your current order amount. The difference will be used to help pay off the debt.

If you do not owe past due child support, and feel that too much money is being withheld from your check, contact El Paso County Child Support Services locally at (719) 457-6331 or toll free at (866) 270-2606.

El Paso County Child Support Services may be able to ask your employer to lower the amount being withheld, or submit your order for modification or termination as applicable.

Have other questions about child support?

Contact your private attorney, or call El Paso County Child Support Services locally at (719) 457-6331, toll free at (866) 270-2606, or visit us at Citizens Service Center, 1675 Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 1107, Colorado Springs, CO. 80907. The email address is info@elpasocountycss.com.

Whom do I contact if federal or state taxes have been intercepted?

Contact El Paso County Child Support Services to answer your tax intercept questions at (719) 457-6331 or toll free at (866) 270-2606.

Where do I send support payments?

Payments can be made by an individual by check or money order. Do not send cash. Make all payments payable to the “Family Support Registry.”

You must include the following information with all payments:

Your FSR account number

The name of the individual who owes support

Your court case number

Amount remitted for each FSR account number

Enclose your coupon with each payment

Mail payments to:

Family Support Registry

P.O. Box 2171

Denver, CO 80201-2171

Overnight Express payments can be sent to:

Family Support Registry

PMB 262

1550 Larimer Street

Denver, CO 80202-1610

For more information on Colorado Child Support click here: https://childsupport.state.co.us/