Every adult on a child support case—including mothers, fathers, and guardians—should attend their child support hearing.

Your child or children should not attend the hearing. The courts do not have facilities for children or allow them to be left unattended.

So you will need to arrange child care for the hearing date. This is true even for virtual hearings.

Having the required documents on hand in court can save you hours of time.

One of the most important documents is the Income and Expense Declaration form. You should return this to us 10 days before hearing. You should also bring a signed copy of it with you to court.

Both parents should also bring as many of the following documents as they can:

• Printed copies of your 3 most recent pay stubs
• Or if you are self-employed, a copy of your most recent federal tax return. (Your tax return should include all of the attached Schedules and the Profit and Loss Statement)
• Details about how you and the other parent share parenting time for the child or children on the case. You should list dates and times and for how long you take care of them
• Documents verifying child care, including the costs

When you arrive, let someone know you are there and ready for your hearing.

The child support commissioner will explain the process and make decisions on your case.

The first person to address the court is the county attorney. The county attorney does not represent either parent. The law requires the county to look after the best interests of the child on the case.

You may be asked to answer questions or show the documents you brought to the hearing.

A child support representative will be available to discuss your case. This process is called “meet and confer.”

As part of that process, the representative will talk to you about a child support agreement. 

These agreements, also called “stipulations,” follow the standard child support guidelines. They have the same authority as a court order.

Many parents find they make the child support process simpler and save them time and stress.

• Arrive on time. For in-person hearings, this means leaving time to get through security. For virtual hearings, be 5 minutes early. If you are late, your hearing may happen without you or be delayed until the end of the day. In some cases, the hearing could be canceled.
• Be ready to go through security for in-person hearings. Don’t bring weapons or items generally considered dangerous.
• Dress appropriately. We recommend business attire for both in-person and virtual hearings.
• Tell your caseworker in advance if you want an interpreter for a language other than English. We can accommodate dozens of languages.