Not Exactly Correct

You've got to be kidding! After all these years, he wants to dispute paternity. I found out today that the case file had not been referred to establish a court date for ordering support, but to establish paternity. The kids will all be 18 before anything happens, I'm convinced!

Here We Are In March

March 12th a month since the woman in Child Support Supervisor land assured me that my file was being forwarded that day for judicial review so that a court date would be set. I have been waiting by my mailbox for a notice from the Florida Department of Revenue that a hearing has been set. Now that a month has gone by, I phoned my usual contacts on the toll-free "customer service" line.

Your time in que is more than 12 minutes. Actually, it was more like 15 minutes before an unfriendly young gentleman answered the phone. "I'm calling for case status," I said hopefully.

"Are you on speaker phone?" was his response.

"What? Oh, no, I'm calling from my cell phone, is the reception that bad?"

"No, nevermind. Has paternity been established?"

Oh! red flag goes off in my mind. Why is he asking this? Why is everyone asking this? I tell him that, yes, paternity was established and they have a signed birth certificate in the file. "Why are you asking? Is there a problem?"

I imagined him peering into his computer screen. "Well," he said after a few seconds. "There's no actions. Nothing to report. That's it."

"What's it?"

"There's nothing new on your case. That's all."

"No," I responded, "that's not all." I patiently coaxed him into reading what he saw on the screen. It went by pretty fast, something about last action February 7th.

"What happened February 7th?"

"Did you not hear what I just read to you?" said the voice of customer service.

"Well, it went by pretty fast, would you mind re-reading it, please?"

"Well you can contact the local office, all I can tell you is that there are no actions."

"Yes, I know, but I can't call the local office, I can only call you."

"Oh, you have to go down to the local office."

"Would you please tell me the date that my file was forwarded for legal review? Can you tell me what it says on your screen?"

"It is awaiting paternity review. Anything else?"

"You mean my file is not in or on its way to legal review?"

"No, it is not. Have a good evening."

Federal Funding Reductions for Child Support

A 17 percent reduction in funding to child support enforcement programs began in this federal fiscal year. The Congressional Budget Office estimates these cuts will cost families about $1 billion per year in uncollected child support and up to $11 billion over the next ten years. The funding cuts will also affect promising initiatives to provide employment and case management services to low-income noncustodial parents, mostly fathers. These programs are not currently implemented in Florida.

Rap Star Gets His Child Support Amount Reduced

According to press reports, because Rapper 50 Cent was frustrated by fluctuating requests for funds, he took his son's mother to court in 2007. The purpose was to establish a structured amount set by the court for child support. They had previously handled the matter privately.

She reportedly asked the courts to grant her $50,000 at month. Initially the courts awarded $25,000 to the mother, however upon reviewing the family's expenses, the court then ordered 50 Cent to only pay $6,700 a month, as $25,000 was excessive based on actual need.

p.s. I support my children on 1/2 of $6,700 and pay for all their college education.

Funding for Child Support Programs Looks Grim

The reductions to child support enforcement funding at the federal level were made as a part of the Deficit Reduction Act. These cuts which started to take effect in FY 2008, will not be restored. This represents a 17 percent reduction in funding for programs serving over 17 million children in 2006.

It is projects that these cuts will cost families about $1 billion per year in uncollected child support, according to preliminary estimates from the US Congressional Budget Office. In nine out of ten cases, that's moms and their kids who will be negatively effected by these cost reductions.

Despite my ranting about the inadequacies and incompetencies of the Florida Child Support Enforcement office, this means less money for training staff, less money for some initiatives that were beginning to show some promise by providing employment and case management services to low-income non-custodial parents, mostly fathers.

Despite what many say about "welfare" programs, child support provides more income to low-income families than almost any other government program.

The Child Support Protection Act of 2007 (S. 803 and H.R. 1382) would restore funds that were cut from the child support enforcement program.

Beatles Valentine's Day present

I always thought Paul was the "cute" Beatle during the height of their British invasion. Little did I know that marrying him could net around $100 million plus maintenance for child Beatrice. I guess Heather will have no worries regarding paying her daughter's school tuition for the rest of her academic career. Paul and Heather were married 4 years.

Child Support File Moved Off a Desk?

According to sources, my file may have been forwarded to the legal review team after being inspected by a supervisor and that supervisor's supervisor. If this is the case, I'll share my secret that created the momentum. . .

Give it a Go - Call the Customer Service Line

Since no one at the local office returned by phone call from my in-person visit last month and since I have received no correspondance from the office telling me that my file had been returned, I threw caution and my lunch hour to the wind and dialed the toll free number to obtain a case status.

First call, I listened to the recorded message, I typed in all the requested numbers at the prompts and the voice on the other end told me "your expected time in que is more than 9 minutes." Click. The phone hung up on me.

I redialed and after waiting not nearly 9 minutes, a woman's voice came on the line. Her tone was soft and helpful. I told her I was requesting case status. She got right on it, pulled up my file on her computer and paused.

"Your case is being referred for "paternity and support."

I inquired what that meant. She explained that my case file had been transferred to RS3 which is a supervisor. She paused again. She was really very pleasant. I explained some of the background. She seemed puzzled. "It looks like your file has just been going in circles, I don't understand."

I laughed out loud and told her how much I appreciated her! Here was a real person and one who could see my version of the universe. Hurray! Give this woman a raise. No, better than that--promote her out of customer service hell. No, wait, she's the only person I've ever spoken to who treated me like I was human.

She said she was going to check something else. "It seems, she said that today, your case file has been routed to another type of supervisor for "corrections."

I laughed again. Corrections? I asked.

She even agreed to write notes in the case file asking what corrections and when is my file going to legal review?

Stay tuned!

CHILD SUPPORT QUEST RECAP FOR 2007

March 30, 2007 "undisposed" child support case
April 5, 2007 Hearing with Administrative Hearing Officer
June 11, 2007 Mailed in the mandatory direct deposit form
June 15, 2007 Visit to local child support office - no information on hearing
June 15, 2007 Submit another affidavit of child support delinquency - outstanding $2,810 through 5/31/07

What I was told at the Child Support Enforcement local office:
1. To wait until the information was entered into the system and that no enforcement action would take place until the CSE office received
information from the Circuit Court. Although a hearing was held April 5th, the CSE office still had no information on the outcome of that hearing, nor any final order as of June 15
2. That people are really "better off" filing child support enforcement
themselves.

July 6, 2007 Letter to the Director of the Florida Department of Revenue,
Office of Child Support Enforcement, copies to Rep. Bill Galvano, Rep. James Frishe
July 24, 2007 Letter to the Assistant Attorney General, Child Support
Enforcement Section, copies to legal services attorney, Circuit Court Judge and the Department of Revenue, Office of Child Support Enforcement. (No response as of this date.)
July 27, 2007 In response to my letter, telephone call from Tony Thompson legislative liaison for Department of Revenue. This links back to original post here.
August 6, 2007 Receive my copy of recommended order from the April 5th
hearing saying I have no valid child support order. Note, that all staff in the system up to this point have repeatedly told me that I have an open case with an order in place (post referenced above).

Do not pass go, do not collect any $

There is no child support order! You must reapply. You must submit an application and have it reviewed , you must submit financial affidavits, income tax returns, birth certificates, paternity affidavits, pay stubs.
August 2007 - I receive a package of forms, I complete them and deliver them in person.
September 10, 2007 - Request for seven additional items of information. I submit all seven.
October 11, 2007 - Request for additional pay stubs for July and September. But, the annualized amount is on the stub, I offer. Anyone can, through simple arithmetic, calculate my income. I submit stubs for July and September and write on the form, "my income has not changed, it is the same every month."
There is a cumulative figure also printed on the wage statement, which I highlight with a marker.
November 9, 2007 - Request for what? additional pay stubs, now for September and October. And now, they need tax returns from 2004 and 2005! (they already have 2006). In another month, it will be 2008, why are we going back four years? I can find nothing in state rules that require this.
December 17, 2007 - my visit to the local Child Support Enforcement Office (see post here.)

Which brings us back to February 2008. No response to my letter that I sent the local office, reminding them that I was still waiting for a telephone call from my previous months' attempt to speak with them.

Letters About Child Support?

OK, as you guessed, I never received a telephone call back from the local child support office.

I've gotten some information and am going to try to write letters, again, even though my first attempt was unsuccessful.

Wish me luck!

Experts Show "Crack" in Child Support System

According to the website Divorce360, a recent poll shows that custodial parents are not receiving their child support payments.

Almost half of the poll respondents, 43 percent, said they are not receiving one dime of court-ordered child support payments. The poll, conducted by GFK Roper and commissioned by the Divorce 360 website, also commented that just 25 percent of custodial parents are receiving their payments. Of the rest, 17 percent, are getting some of the payments, but not getting all they are due, 6 percent are fighting to get child support.

OK, that's 66% that are not getting support or not getting the full amount, 25% who are receiving their support. Where's the other 9%? Are they the people who have been lost in the state enforcement system?

You can read the entire report on the Divorce 360 web site. Be advised that some of the advice given by a former family law attorney and author suggests that:

“You need to get the child support paid through the state enforcement agency when possible so that they can make sure it is paid.”

Oh my!

Guide to Child Support Enforcement Process

While visiting the child support enforcement office, I noticed, along with the $100 dollar bills still hanging from the ceiling (see previous post), a large color poster called Guide to Florida's Child Support Enforcement Process.

These color coded graphics indicated a step-by-step process all the way to collections. The yellow were "things in Department of Revenue's control." They were the first four steps. Follow along:

1. Intake Interivew (had several of those)
2. Locate non-custodial parent (he's not lost, he lives (and has lived) at the same address that is not too far from the local office)
3. Non-custodial parent interview (hasn't happened as far as I know)
4. Prepare packet for attorney. (done and then, evidently undone.)

**Then the rest of the steps are things outside "the control of DOR:"**

5. Legal review of referral and file with Court Clerk
6. Service of Process (to non-custodial parent)
7. Respond to summons (by law that person has 20 days to respond)
8. Hearing date - cases are set for hearing in two months (that would be two months from when?) but, the poster cautioned: "it may sometimes take longer."
9. Hearing held. (with either a judge or a hearing officer.
10. Receipt of final order. Time varies, the poster says "up to two weeks depending on the judges practices and caseload
11. Collection efforts begin.

The poster gives no indication as to when the custodial parent may actually see money in their bank account to pay the dentist, the school activity fee, buy shoes that actually fit, you fill in the blank.

Why is This Parking Space Always Empty?

Another Trip to Land of Local Enforcement Office

Holding my breath that I could make it over and back to the local child support enforcement office in my one hour lunch break, I arrived at the local office, 15 minutes already gone.

There were a few men lounging in waiting room chairs, today's featured movie was one I didn't recognize, but at least it was not Dr. Doolittle again. A man was at the thick, dirty glass window having a spirited conversation with "Jim" at the front desk through the little round speaker grate.

I know it was Jim, because the man seeking services asked the CSE worker for his name and wrote it down. I was too late to hear the full story, but the man was insisting that his attorney had told him to come to this office and Jim was just as insistent that he could not help him. The man shook his head and left without getting to speak with anyone who possibly could help him.

Next in line was another man who successfully coaxed the form he needed from Jim and left. I was next.

After writing my social security number on the smallest tear of a piece of paper, Jim asked me some questions, stared at his computer and decided that all the CSE workers were in a meeting all day and that I could fill out a form and I would be called back within three business days. "Put down something they can hang their hat on," Jim told me without a smile. "Explain why you are here."

"I'll use my own pen, thanks," I said and filled out the form, including my narrative written on the back of the paper, returned the clip board and the form to the window and left. I gave Jim a departing smile, thinking about what a crappy job he must have, but got no smile to send me on my way.

Without seeing a CSE worker, I made it back to my office only three minutes late.

Part Two of Call Center Conversation

See post below for the beginning. Those following will remember that in December, I was told by a Florida Department of Revenue person in person that everything was in my file, everything was in order and that my case was going forward to be processed so that I could get a court order for child support.

I leaned against the counter and stared through the glass, "You mean everything that needs to be done has been done? Is there anything else that I need to do or anything else that I need to provide?"

"No. Everything is in order. It will be processed and will go forward." spoke the Revenue worker at the local child support enforcement office.

Today, at the last few minutes before the call center closed, I was told that the file had been noted on January 10th that "paternity had not been established." That the case would now be returned from the place called the "Establishment Office." It was not going forward until paternity had been established.

"The file will have to be re-reviewed."

"Did the father sign the birth certificate?" he asked.
"Yes, and the worker in the office in December looked through the file and said that paternity had been established, that the father had signed a form number ??
Plus, the birth certificate was in the file.

Child Support Case Status Revealed

Today, I received a notice from my child's school that my children will be prohibited from all sports and extra-curricular activities as of tomorrow unless the school fees are paid. Along with this mail, I receive three notices from my bank that three checks have not cleared, the fees the bank is charging me for this fact. I note that payday is not until Friday. The landlord is holding my rent check that was due the first of the month until this payday. So, when that check clears, the bank fees are paid, and I pay the utility bill, there will be no money for car payment, no one month overdue, no food money, no gas money, etc. etc.

Income tax time has rolled around again, and once again the Florida Department of Revenue will miss its opportunity to intercept the refund check that will go to my kid's dad.

Child Support Call Center for Information

The State of Florida has adopted a statewide call center to handle the calls from custodial and non-custodial parents. The automated voice that answers your call tells you, first, all the things that the toll free line cannot do. It cannot give you information about payments or payment status. For that, you must call another number or you are encouraged to go to the Deparrment of Revenue web site.

Then, if you aren't calling to find out where you payment is, you are advised you can select "2" for case status. However, a case status will not be requested from a local office if there is a pending action or if an action has been taken in the last 30 days (90 days for out-of-state cases).

To better serve the public the toll free line is open until 7:00 p.m. on weekdays. When I returned home from work today, I placed a call to the toll free number (listed below). The first call resulted in a loud, beeping busy signal. I am now on my second attempt. I have been on hold since 6:25 p.m. Here's my theory:

All the call center employees go on break at 6:30 p.m. The phone is routed to a voice that comes on in exactly one minute intervals: All of our representatives are busy at this time. Please hold the line and someone will be with you momentarily. I (am unsure how long momentarily is.) I'm burning cell phone minutes on hold.

It's 6:55 and someone answers! I'm delighted I was wrong!

I eagerly await a case status. I've been assured from my last visit at the local office in mid-December that everything in my file is in order and that my file is going for review on to the legal team. This is the final step before the office asks the non-custodial parent for documentation about income, etc., and then it goes to court to get a court order. At this rate I can get child support by summer and before another year's school fees are due.

The results of the conversation with the call center:
800.622.5437 in the next post.

Child Support Enforcement Goal

“Our goal is to ensure that families receive the child support
they need and deserve.”

-- Ann Coffin, Director

Some Discouraging Figures from the 2007 Florida Self Sufficiency Report

The national average monthly child support for families who received payments through state enforcement offices was $205. In Florida, the average child support payment is $194 per month.

Although 60% of custodial parents in the United States have child support awards, only 45% receive the full amount owed to them. Of the remaining 55% of custodial parents with child support awards, 31% receive a portion of the child support payment awarded and 24% receive no support at all.

Welcome in 2008

Well, this year has to be better, yes?