Establishment Background and Agency Responsibilities
In this Topic
Background
This section provides policies and procedures for establishing paternity and obtaining a support order. In child support actions where paternity is an issue, both matters are usually resolved in the same legal proceeding, which is initiated by the filing of a complaint for paternity and child support. Accordingly, the two issues have been combined into one module. The statutes, regulations, and rules governing paternity and support order establishment, as well as the processing procedures, will be explained.
During New Hire Training, we will refer to NJKiDS and FACTS. NJKiDS is New Jersey’s federally certified, automated case management system for child support. It is used with FACTS to work a case. NJKiDS must be used to enter all paternity and child support information. FACTS is the statewide system for the Family Division of the Superior Court in New Jersey.
Agency Responsibilities
Division of Family Development
The DFD is responsible for the coordination and oversight of Title IV-D activities. The DFD administers New Jersey’s welfare program, Work First New Jersey, through the CSSAs. In accordance with the Cooperative Agreement, the DFD and the Judiciary ensure that the functions of the Title IV-D CS Program are performed as federally required. Components of the Judiciary that are involved in the Title IV-D CS Program include the AOC, the Family Division, the Finance Division, and the Probation Division.
County Welfare Agencies
The CWAs are responsible for the following major tasks related to establishment:
- Accepting the application and collecting payment of the IV-D services fee from non-TANF customers
- Conducting the initial interview with a TANF customer when he/she comes in to establish the absent parent’s location
- Once the interview is completed, entering the case in NJKiDS and sending letters to verify address and employer
- Checking for an existing COP on the system
- Filing complaints or motions for paternity, child support, and medical support (as applicable) with the Superior Court for further action
- Following court proceedings, updating and editing information on NJKiDS regarding paternity and/or dismissal of the action
Family Division (Superior Court)
The Family Division (Superior Court) is responsible for the following major tasks related to establishment:
- Conducting the initial interview with a non-TANF customer when he/she comes in to establish paternity and/or child support
- Checking for an existing COP on the system for non-TANF cases and ensuring that copies are supplied to the court file
- Filing complaints for paternity and/or child support
- Performing tasks related to predisposition case processing, including the retrieval of information needed to process the complaint or motion and prepare cases for consent conferences, mediation, or a hearing before a Child Support Hearing Officer or a Superior Court Judge, Family Division
- Scheduling the hearing
- Generating summonses
- Performing Service of Process on all interested parties
- Following court proceedings, updating NJKiDS and FACTS with new information, and verifying and correcting existing data when necessary
- Entering support obligations on NJKiDS within five business days of the judge’s signature, which shall be no later than eight business days after entry of the order or hearing date
- Sending the orders to the appropriate PCSE Unit for monitoring, collecting, and enforcing the support orders
Vicinage Finance Division
The Vicinage Finance Division is responsible for the following major tasks related to establishment:
- Collecting payment of the IV-D fee
- Applying the fee to the case upon the establishment of the child support case in NJKiDS