Pursuing Child Support Safely
by: Oregon Law Center and Oregon Department of Justice, Division of Child Support
If you think that asking for child support may cause you or your child to be harmed, you deserve protection.
There are two ways that the Child Support Program may be able to help you get child support AND still keep you and your child safe.
- Address of Record - Low Level of Protection
(Protects your home address)
When the Child Support Program sends mail to the other parent or person in your case, it may show your home address. If you do not want the other parent to get mail showing your home address, you can use another address. This is called an "Address of Record." The Child Support Program will use your Address of Record for any legal mail they send you. They will also list the Address of Record on legal paperwork they send to the other parent. If you want to use an Address of Record, you must fill out the appropriate form. This form is in the Division of Child Support's Client Safety Packet.
The Address of Record should NOT be your home address OR the address where you get your child support or cash assistance checks.
You do not need to have a reason to use an Address of Record - anyone can have one. Be sure to choose an address where you can easily and reliably receive your mail, and be sure to update the Address of Record if you move.
- Claim of Risk - Medium Level of Protection
(Protects home address, phone number, Social Security Number,and other identifying information)
Legal papers contain information about you such as addresses, phone numbers, employer names, addresses, and phone numbers, driver's license numbers, and social security numbers. This information could be used to help the other parent or another person find you. If you think that making this information available could put you or your child in danger, you may ask that it be kept confidential. If you want this information to be kept confidential, you must fill out the Claim of Risk form. This form is in the Division of Child Support's Client Safety Packet.
Even if you file a Claim of Risk form, you must have an Address of Record which will be made available to the other parent.
Sometimes It Is NOT SAFE to Pursue Child Support.
When it is not safe to pursue child support at all, even with protection of information as described above, you may wish not to start a child support case, or to stop enforcing an order that already exists.
- Good Cause - High Level of Protection
(Stops your child support case, if you have one, or exempts you from having to start a case.)
If you receive cash assistance or Oregon Health Plan assistance from the state, the law says you must help the Division of Child Support to get a support order against the other parent unless it would not be safe for you or your child.
If getting child support from the other parent could cause you or your child harm, you may claim "Good Cause," and ask the Child Support Program not to pursue your case. If you claim "Good Cause," the Child Support Program must not pursue your case.
To claim "Good Cause," you may tell your benefits worker, if you have one, or you may fill out the "Good Cause" form. This form is in the Division of Child Support's Client Safety Packet.
|
