Child Support Glossary

A
Adjudication
A ruling or order made by a judge or other decision-maker such as a hearing officer.
Allocated Order
An allocated order has a specific support amount for each child.
Appeal
An appeal is a written request asking a higher court to look at the decision of the judge and change that judge’s decision.
Arrears
Arrears are unpaid or overdue child support payments.
B
Bench Warrant
A bench warrant is a court order that says law enforcement can arrest a person for failure to appear for a court hearing or failure to comply with court order. 
C
Child Support
Financial support paid by the noncustodial parent to help support a child. Noncustodial parents can voluntarily pay. A court or properly empowered administrative agency can order child support, depending on state or tribal laws. Child support can involve different types of cases:
Child Support Number (CS Number)
A child support number is the number assigned to your child, spousal, or alimony support case. Any time you call the child support program about your child support case, you will be asked for your child support number.
Child Support Order

This document shows the amount that a parent pays for child support. It can also show if a parent will provide health insurance or medical support for the child. The amount is established by court order, administrative process, voluntary agreement, or other legal process and are enforceable. The agreements are legal documents and may include a judgment for past-due child support (arrears). Note: Voluntary agreements vary from state to state.

Complaint
A complaint is the formal document filed in court that starts a case. It typically includes the names of the parties and what you are asking the court to do.
Consent Conference
A consent conference is a meeting where parents can attempt to agree on paternity establishment, child support amounts, and/or custody arrangements before their case is heard by a hearing officer or judge.
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)
The COLA is an adjustment to the support payment amount based on fluctuations in the cost of living. Any child support order entered on or after Sept. 1, 1998, is automatically adjusted every two years based on the consumer price index.
Court Order
A court order is a written decision signed by a judge and issued by a court of law telling someone they must do something. 
Custodial Parent
The custodial parent is the parent who lives with the child the majority of the time and has the primary day-to-day responsibility. The custodial parent is also sometimes referred to as the parent/person receiving support, the payee or the obligee.
Custody
Custody gives a parent the right to make decisions for the child. Sole custody means one person has this resonpsibility and joint custody means both parents share this responsibility. 
D
Docket Number
The identifying number assigned to every case filed in the court. 
E
Emancipation
The legal age a person is no longer considered a minor (child). It is also referred to as the "age of majority." The law is different from state to state and tribe to tribe. Depending on the state’s provisions, the person may remain eligible for child support for a period after emancipation.
Enforcement
When the Child Support Agency identifies these cases and takes action to get the support paid, it is called enforcement. Enforcement includes collecting arrears or making sure health insurance coverage is in effect. Issuing warrants and stipulation of warrant is at the discretion of the judge or hearing officer.
F
File
To file means to provide the correct forms and fee to the court to begin the court’s consideration of your request (e.g., child support establishment, medical support establishment or enforcement).
Financial Maintenance
Court-ordered support that is outside of the Child Support program. 
G
Garnishment
A legal document directing a third party (often an employer) to withhold money or property to pay a debt. 
Genetic Testing
also known as DNA testing; a test to determine the birth father of a child by comparing DNA markers (can include analyzing human cells collected from both the child and alleged father).
Good Cause
A legal reason to excuse a person who receives public assistance from cooperating with the child support enforcement process (for example; past physical harm by the noncustodial parent; rape/incest that resulted in pregnancy; or when adoption is being considered).
H
Health Care Coverage
also known as medical support; health care coverage includes any health care coverage for a child or children in a IV-D case. This includes:
  • Private health insurance such as employment-based insurance and individually purchased health insurance policies, including those purchased through state and federal health care marketplaces
  • Publicly funded health care coverage, including Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, other state coverage plans, and coverage through Tricare or the Indian Health Service
I
Income Withholding
Income withholding, also known as wage withholding or garnishment, is the process in which automatic deductions are made from wages or other income to pay a child support obligation. Income withholding has been mandatory since the enactment of the Family Support Act of 1988.
J
Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS)
JEDS allows you to electronically submit your documents and record requests to the courts. Documents can be submitted through JEDS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They will be processed during normal business hours: weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except court holidays and recesses.
M
Medical Support
Medical support is the medical coverage provided for a child(ren) pursuant to an order. This includes private and public health care coverage and cash medical support, which includes payment of health insurance premiums and payment of medical bills, including dental or eye care. Medical support may be provided by the person paying support, the person receiving support, or another person, such as a stepparent.
Modification
Modification refers to any change or adjustment to a previous court order.
Motion
A motion is a written request in which you ask the court to issue an order, change an order it has already issued, enforce an order it has already issued, or ask the court to take some other action related to your case.
N
New Jersey Child Support Guidelines
The NJ Child Support Guidelines are a standard method for calculating child support based on the income of both parents and other factors. The full set of guidelines is contained in Rule 5:6A of the New Jersey Court Rules. You can view these guidelines at NJCourts.gov/attorneys/rules-of-court/child-support-guidelines.
NJKiDS (New Jersey Kids Deserve Support)
NJKiDS is the New Jersey Child Support Program’s federally-certified automated computer system that tracks child support cases.
Non-Custodial Parent
The non-custodial parent is the parent who does not have residential/physical custody of the child on a day-to-day basis. The non-custodial parent is sometimes called the parent/person paying support, the payor or the obligor.
P
Paternity
Paternity is the legal term for determining the father of the child. 
S
Support Obligation
The support obligation is the amount of support that the court orders the person paying support to pay to provide for their child(ren). The court order includes how much and how often support must be paid, such as weekly or monthly.
T
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Time-limited public assistance payments made to families with children when the parent/s or other responsible relative/s cannot provide for the family’s basic needs.

The program provides parents with job preparation, work, and support services to help them become self-sufficient. Applicants for TANF benefits are automatically referred to their state or tribal child support agency in order to establish paternity and receive child support for their children from the noncustodial parent.

U
Unallocated Order
An unallocated order means that there is one obligation amount paid for all the children. Most orders in New Jersey are unallocated.