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ServicesSenator Lieberman's Constituent Service Center offers help in the following areas:
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Child Support
Senator Lieberman's Constituent Service Center regularly receives the following questions regarding child support. If your question is not answered here, please send an email so that his staff may address your concern.
Q: Can Senator Lieberman assist me in my endeavor to receive custody of my child (children)? No. Senator Lieberman is not permitted to become involved with matters before the court. Custody of a child is a civil matter that must be pursued in a court of law. It is necessary that you obtain an attorney (or represent yourself) in order to move forward with this type of issue. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may utilize the resources of the state legal assistance program. Connecticut's legal assistance programs provide free civil legal services to income-eligible people. The program provides direct representation, legal counseling, referrals and legal self-help materials. Assistance is provided in a variety of areas of law. Please contact Connecticut Legal Assistance at 800-453-3320. No. Senator Lieberman is not permitted to become involved with matters before the court. Proceedings involving the Department of Children and Families are adjudicated in a civil court. However, to give parents an opportunity to present their case, DCF has established the Office of Ombudsman. This office will work with the assigned caseworker to make sure that the concerns of parents are heard. Please contact the Ombudsman's office at 860-434-5255 to discuss ways in which this matter may be quickly resolved in a manner acceptable to both you and DCF. You may also contact the Office of the Child Advocate which oversees the protection and care of children and advocates for their well being. That office can be reached at 860-434-5255. Q: Can Senator Lieberman help me to enforce a child support order? Yes, but only if the non-custodial parent is a member of the United States Military. However, it is necessary that you contact the State of Connecticut Support Enforcement Services Unit and attempt to remedy the problem utilizing its services first. It is the goal of the Child Support Enforcement Program to improve the self-sufficiency of families through increased financial and medical support and to establish paternity for children born out of wedlock. This program locates absent parents, and collects and distributes child support payments. Child support services are available to both custodial and non-custodial parents, regardless of their income. The Department of Social Services administers the program in cooperation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Support Enforcement Services Unit of the Judicial Branch. The Support Enforcement Services Unit will enforce your child support order in court using three tools:
1. Income withholding: all child support orders may be collected through a court order to deduct money from the non-custodial parent's income. 2. Contempt: the court finds that the non-custodial parent willfully failed to obey the court order. A person found in contempt may be ordered to pay a lump sum of money. The person also can be sent to jail until a certain sum of money is paid. 3. License Suspension: the court finds the non-custodial parent failed to obey the court order and orders his or her driver's license, professional, occupational license, or recreational license suspended after 30 days. Q: Who can I contact for additional information? You may contact the Child Support Enforcement Office nearest you. For information about the program and to determine which office is nearest you, please call 800-228-5437. You may also hire an attorney to represent you and file court papers asking for a finding of contempt, or complete and file the court papers yourself. If you choose to file the papers yourself, please visit the Department of Social Services for an explanation of what forms you will need. You will need to provide us with the following information: 1) Your first and last name, date of birth, social security number, home address, and telephone number. 2) Child's (children's) first and last name, date(s) of birth, social security number(s). 3) Non-custodial parent's first and last name, date of birth, social security number, home address and telephone number, place of employment address and telephone number, branch of the military and last known station. If you do not have all of this information, provide as much identifying information as possible. 4) Any additional information in support of your case. A staff member will contact you as soon as possible if additional material or information is required.
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