A Tennessee child support order is a legally binding court decree requiring one parent to provide financial support for their children, established through the child support program administered by the Department of Human Services, which helps parents establish paternity, obtain child support orders, enforce child support payment obligations, and provide medical support for children.
What Is a Tennessee Child Support Order
A child support order is the official legal document that establishes a parent's financial obligations to their children.
A Tennessee child support order is a legally enforceable court decree that specifies the amount one parent must pay to support their child or children, the payment schedule, and additional provisions such as health insurance coverage and medical expenses. This order remains under the court's control and can be modified when circumstances change significantly, ensuring that children continue to receive appropriate financial support as family situations evolve.
The order typically designates one parent as the primary residential parent who receives the support payments and the other as the alternate residential parent who makes the payments, though in some cases involving shared custody or high-income custodial parents, payment arrangements may differ. Courts having jurisdiction of the subject matter and of the parties are expressly authorized to provide for the future support of children by fixing definite amounts to be paid in monthly, semimonthly, or weekly installments as circumstances may warrant.
Services Provided by the Child Support Program
The Department of Human Services administers comprehensive child support services, helping families establish and enforce support obligations.
In Tennessee, the Department of Human Services administers the child support program with offices located across the state in all 32 Judicial Districts. The child support services are provided through local district attorneys, DHS staff, and private agencies under contract with the state, creating a comprehensive network to help families obtain financial support for children. If you are having difficulty obtaining child support for your children or wish to establish paternity of your children, the Department of Human Services can help by providing professional assistance at no cost to qualifying families.
The child support program provides services that promote parental responsibility to meet the financial needs of children and their families. The following services are available through the child support program: location of a child's parent or parents for the purpose of obtaining support or establishing paternity, establishment of paternity, establishment and enforcement of child support orders, establishment and enforcement of medical support, collection and distribution of child support payment amounts, modification of child support orders, and enforcement of spousal support orders if child support is also involved.
Location Services for Missing Parents
Finding non-custodial parents is often the first step in establishing child support obligations.
The child support services program can help locate a child's parent or parents for the purpose of obtaining support or establishing paternity, using sophisticated databases and tracking systems. The agency's child support staff can help you locate a missing parent by searching driver's license records, employment and unemployment records, criminal records, vital records, and TennCare health records automatically, as well as accessing the Federal Parent Locator Service, National Directory of New Hire, and Federal Case Registry.
This comprehensive approach to locating absent parents ensures that even when parents move across state lines or attempt to avoid their responsibilities, the child support program can still find them and pursue appropriate support obligations. These services are particularly valuable when the custodial parent has lost contact with the other parent or doesn't have current address or employment information.
Establishing Paternity
Legal fatherhood must be established before child support orders can be issued for children born to unmarried parents.
To establish paternity means to legally determine who is the biological father of a child, which is necessary before child support can be ordered for children born outside of marriage. The child support program helps with the establishment of paternity through voluntary acknowledgment forms, genetic testing, or court proceedings, ensuring that children have the legal right to financial support from both parents, regardless of marital status.
A voluntary acknowledgment of paternity that is completed when certified by the state registrar or other governmental entity maintaining the record shall be a basis for establishing a support order without requiring any further proceedings to establish paternity. This streamlined process allows unmarried parents to quickly establish legal parentage and begin the child support process without lengthy court battles, though either party may rescind the voluntary acknowledgment in writing within 60 days of its execution.
How to Apply for Child Support Services
Parents can access child support assistance through online portals or by contacting local child support offices directly.
If you feel the child support program would be beneficial to you and you would like to apply online, visit the One DHS Customer Portal, which provides a convenient electronic application process. To speak with a child support professional in person, visit the child support office's web page to find the office that serves the county in which you live, where staff will be glad to answer any questions you may have regarding the program and help you complete the application process.
When applying for child support services, you will need to provide important information including each parent's full name and any changes in name, dates and places of birth, residential and mailing addresses, home telephone numbers, the social security number for each parent and child, names and addresses of employers, information about health insurance availability and cost, and gross annual income information. This information helps the child support program locate parents, establish accurate support amounts, and enforce payment obligations effectively.
Establishing a Child Support Order
Creating an official support order involves calculating appropriate amounts and obtaining court approval.
The establishment of child support orders begins with completing Tennessee's child support worksheet, which calculates the appropriate amount based on both parents' incomes, the number of children, parenting time, and additional expenses like childcare and health insurance. Once the worksheet is completed and both parents have had an opportunity to review the proposed amount, the court issues an official order that becomes legally binding and enforceable.
Upon dissolution of a marriage or in paternity cases involving unmarried parents, the court may make an order and decree for the suitable support and maintenance of the children by either spouse according to the nature of the case and the circumstances of the parties, with the order remaining in the court's control for future modifications. The court sets a specific amount that is due each month to be paid in one or more payments as the court directs, providing clarity and consistency for both parents regarding their financial obligations.
Medical Support Requirements
Child support orders must address health insurance coverage and medical expenses for children.
The establishment and enforcement of medical support is a critical component of every Tennessee child support order, ensuring that children have access to necessary healthcare services. The court may direct the acquisition or maintenance of health insurance covering each child and may order either party to pay all costs, or each party to pay a pro rata share of healthcare costs not paid by insurance proceeds if reasonable and affordable health insurance is available.
In any case in which the court enters an order of support enforced under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, the court shall enter an order providing for health care coverage to be provided for the child or children. This medical support can include the child's health insurance premium, recurring uninsured medical expenses, including deductibles and co-pays, and dental, orthodontic, counseling, psychiatric, vision, hearing, and other healthcare needs not covered by insurance, with these costs typically allocated between parents based on their respective incomes.
Child Support Payment Requirements
The order or decree of the court specifies how child support payment amounts shall be made, typically through the central collection and disbursement unit, which processes payments electronically for tracking and distribution purposes. In all Title IV-D child support cases in which payment is to be made by income assignment or otherwise, and in cases where payments made by income assignment are based upon support orders entered after January 1, 1994, the court orders that support payments be made to the central collection and disbursement unit rather than directly to the custodial parent.
This centralized payment system provides important benefits, including automatic record-keeping, protection for both parents through documented payment histories, and streamlined distribution to custodial parents. No credit shall be given by the court, court clerk, or department of human services for child support payments required by the support order that are made in contravention of these requirements, meaning payments made directly to the custodial parent rather than through the official system may not count toward the obligation.
Tracking Your Child Support Payments
Both custodial and non-custodial parents can monitor payment status through online systems.
One of the ways DHS helps both parents and children is through its online Child Support Payment System, where parents can log in and review monthly statements and payments. Custodial parents can review remittance advice and monthly statements showing when payments were received and distributed, while both non-custodial and custodial parents can view processed payments to verify compliance with the support order.
Both non-custodial and custodial parents will need the case number or member ID and their own social security number to access the system. Example pages with video are available to guide parents through the process, and an informative Help and Frequently Asked Questions link is available for parents who need assistance navigating the online payment system or understanding their payment histories.
Child Support Enforcement Methods
Tennessee employs multiple enforcement mechanisms to ensure parents meet their support obligations.
The child support services program of the Tennessee Department of Human Services offers numerous services to parents or legal guardians trying to obtain financial and medical support for their children, including powerful child support enforcement tools. The agency's goal is to make sure that all children have the financial support of both parents, and when parents fail to pay as ordered, the program can take aggressive action to collect past-due amounts.
Some of the actions the agency can take to enforce child support orders include: automatically withhold wages and other income through income assignment orders sent directly to employers, seize assets identified by the Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM) program or by other means, intercept federal tax refunds and deny passport applications using the IRS Treasury Offset Program, revoke driver's licenses, professional licenses and various other licenses, report child support debt to credit reporting agencies affecting the non-paying parent's credit score, place liens against real or personal property, and file contempt petitions with the court which can result in jail time for willful non-payment.
Automatic Income Withholding
Wage garnishment ensures consistent child support payment directly from the paying parent's paycheck.
Automatically withholding wages and other income is one of the most effective child support enforcement tools, where the employer receives an income withholding order requiring them to deduct child support from the employee's paycheck before issuing it. This amount is then sent directly to the central collection and disbursement unit for distribution to the custodial parent, eliminating the need for the paying parent to remember to make monthly payments and reducing the likelihood of arrearages developing.
Income withholding applies not just to wages but also to bonuses, commissions, unemployment benefits, workers' compensation, and other forms of income, ensuring that support continues even when the paying parent's employment situation changes. This automatic enforcement method protects children's interests while making compliance easier for responsible parents who want to meet their obligations consistently.
Consequences of Non-Payment
Failing to pay child support as ordered can result in serious legal and financial consequences.
If the full amount of child support is not paid by the date when the ordered support is due, the unpaid amount that is in arrears becomes a judgment for the unpaid amount and accrues interest at rates specified by Tennessee law. All interest that accumulates on arrearages is considered child support itself, meaning the debt continues to grow until the entire amount plus interest is paid in full.
In addition to interest charges, parents more than 30 days in arrears may face a summons or attachment with bond requirements of not less than $250 or up to the full amount of the arrears. The court may require an obligor parent to give security by bond with sufficient sureties for payment of past, present, and future support, and if the obligor fails to appear or comply with the support order, such bonds may be forfeited and the proceeds applied to the child support obligation.
Interstate Child Support Enforcement
Tennessee participates in interstate enforcement programs, ensuring support obligations continue across state lines.
If the non-custodial parent resides out of state, child support can be pursued across state lines under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), which gives Tennessee long-arm jurisdiction to establish, enforce, or modify child support orders over non-resident parents. Using standardized forms, one state can request another state for assistance with the activities necessary to establish, enforce, and collect child support, ensuring that parents cannot avoid their obligations simply by moving to another state.
This interstate cooperation is essential because families increasingly live in different states following divorce or separation, and children's needs don't stop at state borders. The child support program works with agencies in other states to locate parents, enforce existing orders, collect payments, and ensure that Tennessee children receive the support they're entitled to, regardless of where their parents live.
Modifying Child Support Orders
Court orders can be adjusted when circumstances change significantly for either parent or the children.
The child support program provides modification of child support orders when there are substantial changes in circumstances, such as income changes, changes in parenting time, or changes in children's needs. Upon application of either party, the court shall decree an increase or decrease of support when there is found to be a significant variance as defined in the child support guidelines between the guidelines and the amount of support currently ordered, unless the variance resulted from a previously court-ordered deviation and the circumstances causing the deviation haven't changed.
The necessity to provide for the child's health care needs shall also be a basis for modification of the amount of the order, regardless of whether a modification in the amount of child support is necessary. This ensures that children's medical needs are always addressed, even if the basic support amount doesn't require adjustment, protecting children's access to necessary healthcare services.
When Modifications Are Appropriate
Understanding what constitutes grounds for modification helps parents know when to request changes.
Changes that may justify modification of a Tennessee child support order include significant increases or decreases in either parent's income (typically 15% or more), changes in the number of children for whom support is owed, substantial changes in parenting time arrangements, changes in childcare costs or health insurance premiums, children developing disabilities requiring additional support, or the birth or adoption of other children for whom the paying parent is legally responsible. When the Department of Human Services becomes aware of a change in circumstances of either party to a Title IV-D child support case, the department may review and seek an adjustment to the support obligation to the extent required by the child support guidelines.
It's important to note that child support orders cannot be modified retroactively; any modification is effective only from the date the petition for modification is filed forward. This means parents who experience income loss or other changes should file for modification immediately rather than waiting, as they will remain responsible for the full ordered amount until the court officially changes the obligation.
Limitations of Child Support Services
The child support program has specific boundaries regarding which family law matters it can address.
The child support program cannot help with civil matters such as divorce petitions, custody determination, or parenting time and visitation arrangements, nor can it provide legal advice on these issues. While the program is very effective at establishing and enforcing financial support obligations and medical support, matters involving legal custody, decision-making authority, and visitation schedules must be addressed through separate court proceedings or with the assistance of a private attorney.
If you need help with custody, visitation, or divorce matters, contact the court clerk in your judicial district, local bar association, or legal aid office to discuss how these matters can be addressed by the court. Many parents benefit from working with both the child support program for financial support issues and a family law attorney for custody and visitation matters, ensuring all aspects of their children's needs are properly addressed.
Required Information for Child Support Cases
Parents must provide and maintain current information throughout the life of the support order.
When the court enters an order in which paternity is determined or support is ordered, enforced, or modified, each individual who is a party must immediately file and update information including full names and any name changes, dates and places of birth (with social security number information filed under seal), residential and mailing addresses, home telephone numbers, driver's license numbers, names, addresses, and telephone numbers of employers, availability and cost of health insurance for the child, and gross annual income.
Each individual who is a party must update changes in circumstances for this information within 10 days of the date of such change. At the time of entry of the first order pertaining to child support, clear written notice shall be given to each party of these requirements, procedures for complying, and a description of the effect of failure to comply, ensuring parents understand their ongoing obligations to keep information current.
How Child Support Offices Can Help
Local offices throughout Tennessee provide personalized assistance and case management services.
To speak with a child support professional, visit the child support office's web page to find the office that serves the county in which you live, where staff will be glad to answer any questions you may have regarding the program. These local child support offices provide face-to-face assistance with applications, answer questions about existing cases, help resolve payment issues, and explain enforcement options when parents aren't receiving the support they're owed.
For more information on the child support program, or for help with payment questions or other child support enforcement issues, contact the child support office nearest you or call the statewide customer service line. The Department of human services maintains a network of experienced professionals who understand both the legal requirements and the practical challenges families face, and who work to ensure that Tennessee children receive the financial support they need and deserve from both parents.