Orange County Department of
Child Support Services
Maria Arzola, Director
Opening a
Child Support Case
Orange County Child Support (OC CSS) services include:
A $35 Annual Service Fee applies to families that never received
public assistance and who are disbursed $550 or more in child
support during the year.
Any person who has legal or physical custody of a child can
apply for services. In addition, applicants and recipients of
public assistance are required to cooperate with child support
services and a child support case will automatically open.
You will be asked to provide as much information
as possible regarding yourself and the other parent
when you apply, including items such as name,
address, date of birth, employer, income, and assets.
Once your completed application is received and processed
by our oce, you will receive a case opening letter within
20 working days. This letter will provide you with your
DCSS Participant Identication Number and case number.
Note: OC CSS’ attorneys present facts of each case for
both parents in court and do not represent either parent.
• Establishing child support, paternity, and/or medical
support
• Enforcing child, spousal, and medical support
• Changing child support court orders
Website: www.css.ocgov.com
Email: childsu[email protected].com
This publication explains general procedures and
is intended for informational purposes only
June 2021
Open a Case Today!
You can open a child support case by:
Visiting our oce
Downloading an application from
www.css.ocgov.com or calling us to
request an application be mailed to you.
Submitting an online application is free,
easy and secure.
Visit www.css.ocgov.com to open a case
from the comfort of your own home.
Need help completing the application?
Call us or visit our oce today!
1055 N. Main Street Santa Ana, CA 92701
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 22099, Santa Ana, CA 92702
Monday - Friday: 7:00 am - 4:30 pm
Cashier Hours:
7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Website: www.css.ocgov.com
Email: [email protected].com
(866) 901-3212
Fax: (714) 347-4811
Tele-Typewriter: (866) 399-4096
Schedule an Appointment
Online: www.css.ocgov.com
By Phone: (714) 347-6406
Orange County Department of
Child Support Services
Maria Arzola, Director
Changing a
Child Support Order
What Can Qualify as a Change?
We are here to help!
Experiencing a Change?
If you recently experienced a change in circumstances, it
may be time to request a review to determine if you qualify
for a change in your child support amount.
Changes in the following:
• Employment Status
• Income
• Custody/Visitation
• Child care expenses
• Health insurance coverage
• Benets
Orange County Department of Child Support Services
(OC CSS) works with both parents to nd the best
possible solution that benets your child(ren). During the
review process, you will be asked to provide the following
information:
• An Income and Expense Declaration
• Proof of income
• Proof of child care and/or health insurance expenses
• Schedule or amount of time you spend with your
child(ren)
This publication explains general procedures and
is intended for informational purposes only
Aug 2021
Is there another way to change my order?
Yes, there is!
We can schedule appointments for both parties to reach
an agreement in the oce and avoid a court hearing. If
both parties agree, a legal document can be signed and
led, resulting in a nal order. If parties cannot agree, then
a court hearing is scheduled.
Requesting a review is simple!
Contact us today!
Visit Us
1055 N. Main Street Santa Ana, CA 92701
Call Us
(866) 901-3212
By Mail
P.O. Box 22099 Santa Ana, CA 92702
Visit us Online
at www.css.ocgov.com
Email Us
Schedule an Appointment
at www.css.ocgov.com or call (714) 347-6406
Orange County Child Support Services
Lifecycle of a Case
Getting a Court Order
Apply for Child
Support Services
1
Establishing a
Child Support Order
3
Finalizing the Child
Support Order
4
Go to Court
A court date is scheduled for
both parents to appear and
present information to the Court
Commissioner to determine the
child support amount.
Reach an Agreement
If both parents agree on a child
support amount, an order is signed
either in the oce or by mail.
If both parents cannot agree, we
will schedule a court hearing.
Case Maintenance
Activities
5
Services include child support, medical
support, and establishment of parentage.
At the time a case is opened, both parents
receive a packet in the mail including several
forms to complete and return.*
*Please note that a valid address for both
parents is needed. If address is not known,
our system will search for a current address.
Review information from both parents to
estimate the child support amount.
File a legal notice, known as the Summons
and Complaint, with the court.
The parent who will pay child support
receives the complaint.
If a child was not conceived during a
marriage, parentage can be established by:
Voluntary Parentage Declaration (POP)
Genetic Testing
Court Order
Establishing
Parentage
2
After the parent receives the complaint, they
have 30 days to respond to the complaint.
There are three options to establish support:
Reach an agreement
If no response, the complaint
becomes a child support order
Go to Court
If employed, the paying parent’s employer
will withhold child support from their
paycheck. Payments can also be made in
person, by phone, mail, or online.
Payments
If payments are missed, paying parents are
subject to:
No Payments
Driver’s license/passport suspension
Bank levy
Liens/credit reporting
Tax refund intercept
Both parents can request a review of the
current order. Qualifying changes may
include visitation time or change in income.
Change in Circumstance
Case Manager: ________________________
Phone Number: (____) _______-_________
For more information visit us online at CSS.OCGOV.COM or call (866) 901-3212.
Orange County Child Support Services
Lifecycle of a Case
Already have a Court Order
Apply for Child
Support Services
1 2
Court Order
Review
Case Maintenance
Activities
3
A case manager will:
Review your court order.
Enter information in our system.
Register court order if it was
issued by another state.
Services include child support, medical
support, and establishment of parentage.
At the time a case is opened, both parents
receive a packet in the mail including
several forms to complete and return.*
*Please note that a valid address for
both parents is needed. If address is
not known, our system will search for a
current address.
Case Manager: ________________________
Phone Number: (____) _______-_________
For more information visit us online at CSS.OCGOV.COM or call (866) 901-3212.
If employed, the paying parent’s employer
will withhold child support from their
paycheck. Payments can also be made in
person, by phone, mail, or online.
Payments
If payments are missed, paying parents are
subject to:
No Payments
Driver’s license/passport suspension
Bank levy
Liens/credit reporting
Tax refund intercept
Both parents can request a review of the
current order. Qualifying changes may
include visitation time or change in income.
Change in Circumstance
CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS
Receiving Payments
We oer several convenient ways to receive or make your child support payments.
Child Support Debit MasterCard®
The Child Support Debit MasterCard® provides secure transacons, online account access, 24/7 access to
payments, toll-free customer service and can be used anywhere MasterCard® is accepted. Refer to the resource
secon for the applicaon.
Enroll in Direct Deposit
Sign up for Direct Deposit and your support payments will be securely deposited into a savings or checking
account of your choice. Refer to the resource secon for the applicaon.
Making Payments
PayNearMe:
Make cash payments at
parcipang locaons. To
get a personal barcode and a
list of parcipang locaons,
visit PayNearMe at
www.paynearme.com/california.
MoneyGram:
Make cash payments at
parcipang MoneyGram
locaons with your parcipant
idencaon number and
receive code 14630. Visit
www.moneygram.com for a
list of parcipang locaons.
PayPal:
Now accepng payments with
PayPal on the California Child
Support website. Pay online at
www.childsupportbillpay.com/california.
By Phone:
Pay with credit card,
checking/savings accounts.
Call (866) 901-3212 and
select opon 1.
Pay at the cashier window
or kiosk using cash, check or
credit card.
In Oce:
Make check/money order
payable to:
CA State Disbursement Unit
P.O. Box 989067
West Sacramento, CA 95798-9067
By Mail:
Schedule recurring payments from
checking account or debit card online at
Automac Payments:
www.childsupport.ca.gov/state-disbursement-unit.
A $1.99 fee applies when using PayNearMe or MoneyGram. A 2.49% fee will be charged when using PayPal.
When using a credit or debit card, a 1.9% fee will be charged when paying online, by phone or at the cashier window.
A 2.2% fee will be charged at the in-oce kiosk.
Make payments using a credit or debit card at
www.childsupport.ca.gov/state-disbursement-unit.
Online:
Make payments using a checking or savings account at
www.expertpay.com ($2.50 one-me registraon fee).
CONTACT INFORMATION
There are several ways you can communicate with us.
For your convenience, our contact informaon is listed below.
By E-mail
By Phone
(866) 901 - 3212
Schedule an Appointment
www.css.ocgov.com
(714) 347-6406
Or Find Us on Social Media
www.facebook.com/OCChildSupportServices
Orange County Child Support Services
Orange County Department of
Child Support Services
1055 N. Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Oce Hours
Monday - Friday
7:00 am - 4:30 pm
Cashier: 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Call Center Hours
Monday - Friday
7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Genec Tesng
Tuesday - Friday
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Customer Connect
Exisng Customers Only
www.childsupport.ca.gov/customer-connect
Call, come to our oce or visit us online.
RESOURCES
For your convenience, we have included the following
child support materials:
Lifecycle of a Case
Direct Deposit/EPC Applicaon
Opening a Child Support Case
Changing a Child Support Order
Interested in learning more about child support processes?
We have produced a series of informaonal videos covering popular topics.
Top 3 Videos
Esmang a
Child Support Payment
How Can I Make a Payment Understanding Your
Billing Statement
Understanding Your Billing Statement
Esmang a Child Support Amount
Change My Order
Agree to a Child Support Amount
Employer Overview
How Can I Make a Payment
How to Get a Child Support Order
Opening a Child Support Case
Are You Having a Tough Time Paying Child Support?
• Change Your Order
• Health Insurance Aordability Review
• Seng a Payment on Balances Owed
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OC Child Support Services
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