Glossary of Terms
A
Accrue / Accrual
Amount of child support that is becoming due or
is overdue.
Answer
Legal document used by defendant/respondent to
answer or deny the claims made in a Complaint
Arrears / Arrearage
Past due support - may include interest.
Assignment - of right to support
Transfer of the right to collect support from
one person to another.
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B
Bench Warrant
Warrant for arrest issued by a judge - usually
for failure to appear in court.
Blood Test / Genetic Test
Test to determine whether a man is the father
of a child.
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C
CalWORKs
California system of Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families CalWorks.
Child Support
Obligation of a parent to provide for the needs
of his/her minor child.
Commissioner
Special judge-like officer assigned to hear child
support cases.
Complaint
Legal document used by the plaintiff/petitioner
to start a lawsuit.
Conditionally Assigned Arrears
Arrears accrued and unpaid while a family was
on aid become "conditionally" assigned to the custodial parent
as long as they stay off aid - if they go back on aid the unpaid arrears
become re-assigned to the county.
Contempt
Failure to obey a court order - punishable by
fine and/or jail term.
Court Order
Order by a court - such as an order to pay child
support.
Current Assistance
A family receiving aid right now is receiving
"current assistance."
Current Support
The amount of support that is due or paid in any
given month.
Custodial Parent / Party
Who the child/ren lives with most of the time.
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D
Default / Default Judgment
Order made by the court when the defendant
doesn't file an answer.
Defendant / Respondent
Person being sued - usually the non-custodial
parent.
DIB
Disability Insurance Benefits - up to 25% can
be intercepted
for child support.
Disbursement
The paying out of child support received by
SCDCSS.
Disregard
First $50 of any child support paid goes directly
to family when receiving aid.
Dissolution
Divorce.
Distribution
Disbursement
of support paid according to state and federal
regulations.
DNA
Genetic test done to tell whether man is father
of a child.
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E
EDD
Employment
Development
Department -
state agency that oversees employers. Pays UIB
to unemployed workers and maintains the new
hire registry.
Emancipation
When a child becomes an adult. In California -
18 or, up to 19 if still in school.
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F
Family Court Services
Division of the court that reviews custody/visitation
issues and makes recommendations.
Family Support
Child and spousal support rolled into one order.
Former Assistance
Support owed to a family that received CalWORKs
aid in the past.
FTB
Franchise
Tax Board.
The California tax agency.
FTB Full Collection
FTB program
to collect support from all sources.
FTB Intercept
California state tax refunds which are taken by
intercept.
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G
Genetic Test / Blood Test
DNA testing used to establish paternity.
Good Cause
CalWORKs
recipient's request to not cooperate in support
enforcement activities because to do so would be dangerous.
Guardian ad Litem
Child's legal representative in a lawsuit.
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H
Health Assignment
Court order requiring an employer to enroll a
child in a health insurance plan.
HICA
Health Insurance Coverage Assignment - court order
for health insurance.
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I
Initiating Jurisdiction / Initiating State
State that sends a child support request to another
state.
Intercept
Money taken for support from tax refunds, unemployment
benefits, etc.
Interest
Unpaid child support earns 10% interest per year
under California law.
Interstate Case
Support case with a parent in California and the
other parent in another state.
IRS
Internal Revenue
Service - the
federal taxing agency.
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J
Judgment
Final order of a court in any case.
Judgment Lien
A judgment,
when recorded,
becomes a lien against the obligor's
property.
Jurisdiction
Legal authority of a court to make orders.
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L
Legal Father
A man, who by law or court order, has the responsibility
to support a child.
Lien
A charge against a property.
Long-Arm Statute / Long-Arm Jurisdiction
Law that allows a parent in another state to be
sued in California.
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M
Matured Installment
Court-ordered monthly payment that has become
due and owing.
MBSAC
Minimum
Basic Standard
of Adequate
Care - an amount
set yearly by the legislature as the least amount of money necessary
to support a family.
Medical Support
Health insurance (medical, dental, vision, etc.)
provided for a child.
MFG Child
Maximum
Family
Grant Child
- a child not entitled to aid because he/she was
conceived while the mother was on aid.
Modification
Change in a child support order - either up or
down.
Motion
Formal request made to a court - such as a Motion
to Modify Support.
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N
Never Assistance
Never received CalWORKs
aid.
New Hire Registry
Employers must report all new employees to the
state EDD.
Non-cooperation / non-coop
Failure of custodial
parent to cooperate with SCDCSS.
Non-custodial Parent / NP
Parent who does not have primary
physical custody of the children
Notice To Withhold / NTW
Notice
To Withhold
- order for employer to withhold child support from earnings.
NP
Non-custodial Parent - parent who does not have
primary physical
custody.
Non-Welfare Case
Case in which no CalWORKs
(welfare) funds are being paid to the family.
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O
Obligee / Payee
Person who is supposed to receive child support
- usually the CP.
Obligor / Payor
Person who is supposed to pay child support -
usually the NP.
Order
A ruling by a court - such as one to pay child
support.
Order To Show Cause / OSC
Court order to make a person come to court and
explain why a certain order should not be made - especially used in
contempt cases.
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P
Pass-on
Amount of paid child support that exceeds the
amount of welfare paid.
Past Support Obligation
Court ordered support owed for prior months when
child received welfare.
Paternity
Fatherhood.
Paternity Opportunity Program / POP
Unmarried father signs a paternity paper to become
a Legal Father
- usually done in a hospital soon after birth
of the child.
Payee / Obligee
Person who is supposed to receive child support
- usually the CP.
Payor / Obligor
Person who is supposed to pay child support -
usually the NP.
Pay Record
Written history of child support payments.
Pendente Lite
"Pending litigation" - usually refers
to a temporary child support order.
Petitioner / Plaintiff
Person or agency that starts a lawsuit.
Permanently Assigned Arrears
Support arrears
which are permanently assigned to the county.
Plaintiff / Petitioner
Person or agency that starts a lawsuit.
POP
Paternity
Opportunity
Program -
allows father to become the legal
father by signing a paternity paper
- usually in the hospital soon after birth.
Presumed Income
Income which the law or court says could be earned
- usually used in setting
support when the true income is not known.
Primary Physical Custody
Usually, the parent who has the child/ren most
of the time has primary physical custody.
Pro Per
Someone who is in a lawsuit without an attorney.
PRWORA
Welfare reform act effective October 1, 1998.
PSC
Public
Service
Center - receptionist/interview/phone
division of SCDCSS.
Public Assistance
Welfare.
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R
Record / Recorded
The formal filing of a document by the County
Recorder.
Recoupment
Collection of support to pay back welfare funds.
Registration of a Foreign Support Order /
ROFO
Entering an out-of-county or out-of -state order
as a Sacramento County order.
Respondent / Defendant
Person being sued for child support.
Responding Jurisdiction
State to which a case is sent for establishment
and/or enforcement of support.
Responsive Declaration
Formal response made to a motion.
Review and Adjustment
Act of reviewing a support case to see if it should
be modified up or down.
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S
SCDCSS
Sacramento County Department of Child Support
Services, The name of the Sacramento child support agency.
Spousal Support
Order or judgment
requiring payment of support for an ex-wife or
ex-husband.
Stipulation
Agreement for the entry of an order
or
judgment
to be made by the court.
Subordination
Agreement to allow another party to collect their
lien ahead
of yours.
Subpoena (subpena)
Legal notice requiring a person to appear - enforceable
by bench
warrant.
Support Order
Order
or
judgment
requiring the payment of child,
spousal
or family
support.
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T
CalWORKs
Temporary
Assistance to
Needy
Families (AFDC,
Welfare).
Tax Intercept
Tax refund taken to pay support arrears.
Temporary Restraining Order / TRO
Order
forbidding a person or agency from doing something
until a full court hearing can be held on the issue.
Temporary Support
A temporary support Order
- good until a final judgment
is made.
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U
UIB
Unemployment
Insurance Benefits.
UIFSA
Uniform Interstate
Family Support
Act - law for
interstate support
in all 50 states.
Unassigned During Assistance Arrears
Arrears accrued while family on aid which exceed
the amount of aid paid.
Unassigned Pre-Assistance Arrears
Arrears accrued before family received aid which
exceed the amount of aid paid.
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V
Voice Response Unit / VRU
Phone system that can give automatic information
to callers.
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W
Wage Assignment
Order for employer to withhold child support from
earnings.
Writ of Execution
Court order to take money or property to pay an
order
or judgment.
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