The Family Support Registry

The Family Support Registry (FSR) is a free support payment system operated by the Department of Human Services to process and track support payments; child support and/or spousal maintenance. The registry also tracks address changes, payment questions and payment records. Payments can be viewed online and payment histories can be printed. The payment histories are helpful in court if the payor falls into arrears to show the amount of arrears for enforcement purposes.

There may be a short delay between the time the FSR receives payment and pays the obligee, but the transactions are usually pretty fast. Once a support order enters, it typically takes about a month for the FSR account to be set up so the payor will usually have to make the first payment directly. The FSR can only track basic support payments and not reimbursable expenses.

If support is ordered to be paid through the FSR, then a FSR account number is generated to have the process initiated. The Clerk of the Court can provide the number to you. The support order is transferred to the FSR usually within a week or two from the date that the support order issues. The FSR then sends the parties a new account notification. Upon receipt the parties can utilize the FSR website to manage the account. The FSR can accept payments in many forms to include automatic withdrawal from a bank account. A card can be issued to the recipient who can use the card like a debit card and payments are added to the card when they are made. Payments are generally disbursed the day after receipt so the process is fast.

A good way to help ensure payment is to initiate an income assignment, which is a direct debit from an obligor's paycheck made by the employer. An income-assignment is mandatory upon request by a recipient. It does take time to initiate or modify and a new assignment is necessary if support or employers change. With an income assignment, the debit can go to the FSR or directly to the recipient.

When an obligor is in arrears on support payments, the recipient can file for contempt of court. There are two types of contempt; remedial and punitive. Remedial Contempt can result in fines or jail if the payor has the ability to pay. The obligor usually has to pay the obligee's attorney's fees as a penalty for violating the order and requiring the obligee to spend time and money to collect. Punitive Contempt is a quasi-criminal proceeding wherein the court punishes the obligor for a past failure to pay.

A child support or maintenance payment becomes a judgment automatically when missed. The obligee has to file a Verified Entry of Support Judgment showing the amount owing as well as statutory interest which is 10%. Once the entry has been filed, the recipient can impose a lien on the obligor's real estate or attempt to collect on other assets. If the obligor sells the property, the lien will have to be satisfied for the sale to close.

Child Support Services (CSS) can be utilized to establish or modify a support order and has enforcement mechanisms that are not available to private attorneys, such as driver's license, passport or professional license revocation and impoundment of income tax refunds. Utilizing CSS is a much longer process than utilizing a private attorney, however.

How can an attorney help with Colorado Springs child support payments? An attorney can assist you in child support matters by helping you navigate through legal challenges. Determining how the court will view a legal situation can be difficult for those without an in-depth knowledge of the law.

A Colorado Springs divorce and family law attorney can guide you through divorce by negotiating, mediating and litigating. This allows you to focus on moving forward to a better future rather than on spending your time trying to figure out the overly complex court system. Contact us at 719-344-5523 or complete our online form to set up a free thirty-minute informational consultat