What is the difference between an administrative and court order of child support?

An administrative order of child support, or “IV-D order”, is a written order from the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in Washington that sets the amount of child support that one parent must pay to the other parent. This order is issued after one parent has applied for public assistance and the parents cannot agree on the amount of child support payments. A court order of child support is issued by the Washington court system after a hearing that has been requested by one of the parents. This order is binding on both the parents and legally requires the paying parent to make the child support payments as outlined by the court. The court order will also outline any additional elements such as health insurance coverage and visitation rights. The primary difference between an administrative and a court order is that the administrative order is issued after one parent has applied for public assistance, while the court order is issued after a hearing has been requested. Furthermore, the administrative order is issued by DSHS and must conform to current Washington child support guidelines, while the court order is issued by the court itself and will take into account the particular circumstances of the parents involved. Both orders are legally binding and must be followed by the parents.

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What is the difference between an administrative and court order of child support?

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