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A

Accrued Accrued means to accumulate or have due after a period of time.

Administrative Review An administrative review is the process of addressing an obligor’s contest to an administrative enforcement claim.

Alleged Father An alleged father is a man who claims or is claimed by another person to be the father of a child, but who has not been legally determined to be the father of that child.

Applicant A person or agency who applies for support services or is referred for services by a public assistance agency.

Arrears / Arrearage The terms arrears, and arrearage, mean support obligation amounts that are overdue and unpaid.

Ask the Court Ask the court means making a motion to the court, using proper legal forms, and following the court rules of civil procedure with or without the help of an attorney.

Assignment of Support An assignment of support is the legal process by which an obligee receiving public assistance agrees to turn over to the state any right to child support. This includes arrears that accrue while the person receives public assistance. To qualify for cash assistance or other benefits, obligees must assign their support rights to the state. The state may keep collected arrears only up to the amount of public assistance received by the obligee.

Attorney of Record The attorney of record is one who filed a Certificate of Representation with the court. Once an attorney files a certificate of representation, that attorney remains the attorney of record for a person until a court order dismisses the attorney or until the attorney formally withdraws from the file.

Automatic Recurring Withdrawal Automatic recurring withdrawal allows obligors to authorize the Child Support Enforcement Division to automatically deduct payments from a specific checking account or savings account.

B

Basic Support Basic support is for expenses relating to the child’s care, housing, food, clothing, and transportation. The basic support obligation does not include payment toward arrears.

Bench Warrant A bench warrant is issued by a judge for the arrest of a person when that person does not appear in court or does not do something that was ordered by the court.

Biological Father A biological father is the man with whom a child’s mother becomes pregnant.

Birth Record Information collected at the time of birth, which includes the child's name, date of birth, place of birth, and parents' names; the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of the State Registrar keeps the original record.

Buccal Swab Buccal swabbing is genetic testing done by rubbing cotton swabs against the inside of a person’s cheek for cell collection.

C

Child Child means an individual under 18 years of age, an individual under 20 years who is still attending secondary school, or an individual who, by reason of physical or mental condition, is incapable of self-support.

Child Care Assistance Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps families pay child care costs for children up to age 12, and for children with special needs up to age 14. Child Care costs may be paid for qualifying families while they go to work, look for work, or attend school.

Child Care Support Child care support is contributing to the cost of work or education related child care costs.

Child Support Money parents pay to help support their children. It may include a monthly court-ordered amount, medical and dental support, and child care support.

Child Support Agency / Office A county office that provides child support services or the state office of child support enforcement.

Child Support Case A child support case is a case in which a party has assigned rights to the child support agency because the party is receiving public assistance or has applied for child support full services. (See IV-D Case)

Child Support Magistrate A child support magistrate is the judicial officer in an expedited process hearing. A child support magistrate has the same authority as a district court judge however, their subject matter jurisdiction is limited. For example, a child support magistrate has broad authority to make decisions about child support, but can only make decisions about custody or visitation arrangements if all parties agree on the arrangement.

Child Support Payment Center (CSPC) A federally required state disbursement unit that receives and disburses child support related collections. This unit is part of the State’s Child Support Enforcement Division.

Complaint A complaint is the formal document that starts a legal action when it is filed with the court. A complaint provides the names of the people involved, the reason for the legal action, and what the person who brought the complaint wants the court to do.

Conditionally Assigned Arrears Conditionally assigned arrears refers to support arrears that accrued before an obligee received public assistance and which the obligee assigned to Minnesota to repay public assistance benefits. Once the obligee leaves a public assistance program, any conditionally assigned arrears collected are paid to the family unless they are collected through the federal income tax refund offset, Project Intercept. Minnesota retains any money collected through Project Intercept until all public assistance arrears are paid.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is an index measuring the increase in consumer costs calculated by the United States Department of Labor. Cost-of-living adjustments are based on this index.

Contempt of Court Not doing what the court has ordered you to do.

Cost-of-Living Adjustment A cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is an increase in child and spousal support every two years due to inflation. Changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) determine the amount of the increase. The increase is automatic unless the obligor challenges the increase by filing a motion with the court.

Cost Recovery Fee The one percent cost recovery fee is a fee the Child Support Enforcement Division charges applicants for child support services. The Child Support Enforcement Division uses this fee to reduce the cost of providing child support services for children. This cost recovery fee is one percent of all child support and maintenance payments an applicant receives or owes on a case up to a maximum amount. The Child Support Enforcement Division sets this limit annually. Obligors and obligees may pay one percent cost recovery fees in addition to other program fees.

Court File Number The Court File Number is the number the court has assigned to the court case.

Court Order A court order is a legally binding directive from a court of law that is issued by a magistrate, judge, or referee.

Credit Bureau Reporting The child support agency reports overdue child support to credit bureaus monthly. Once the past due support has been reported to the credit bureaus, banks or other creditors that review the obligor's credit bureau report may limit or deny credit until the obligor cleans up the credit report by making partial or full payment.

Current Support Current support is an ongoing court-ordered obligation for support due each month and is either received by the Minnesota Child Support Center or withheld by the obligor's employer or other payor of funds.

Custodial parent The parent with physical custody of a minor child.

Custody There are two types of custody: physical and legal. Each of these custody types can either be sole or joint custody.