Ways You Can Receive Florida Child Support Payments

If you are entitled to receive child support in Florida, it is important to consider how you want to receive the payments. You can receive the court-ordered child support payments directly from the other parent. You can also ask the court to order the paying parent send the support payments through the “State Disbursement Unit” (SDU) or the local Clerk of Court Child Support Depository. You must also decide whether you want to seek an “Income Deduction Order.”

The SDU is a Florida agency that handles collecting and distributing child support payments. In other words, the paying parent sends the monthly payments to the SDU who then sends it to you. The SDU is the assigned payee if the Florida Department of Revenue is handling your case (you have a “Title IV D” case).

If your child support case is not being handled by the Department of Revenue, then we can assist you with having your payments sent through the SDU or to pay to you directly. One benefit of having your child support payments made through the SDU is you can set-up an Income Deduction Order which requires the payee’s employer to deduct the child support payments from the payee’s paycheck and send it directly to the SDU. The primary advantage of having an Income Deduction Order is that there is more assurance the money will be paid. The downside is that many people are uncomfortable having their job involved, even though these types of orders are more common these days.

If you decide to receive the payments directly from the paying parent, it may mean that you receive the money quicker (depending on whether the payment is mailed or by electronic funds transfer) than from the SDU. The SDU claims it will forward child support payments within two days of receipt when it is provided the correct case information.

If you would like to learn more about how you can receive your child support payments, call us for an appointment.
Contact the Men’s Divorce Law Firm to schedule a consultation with a caring professional, and aggressive advocate for men’s rights in divorce, child timesharing (custody), and paternity matters.