Hoes does S.E.T.S. determine the amount of my support checks?
Incoming money, or collections, is allocated in a pre-determined order, or hierarchy. "Hierarchy" mean a structure with higher and lower priorities. For our purposes in child support enforcement, it means that money is applied first to the support of the child, then to spousal support, medical expenses, and agency processing fees.

SETS has a standard hierarchy, determined by federal and state laws and policies. In its daily and monthly accounting, SETS applies these policies. Current obligations are paid before arrears but the payment priority is always: 1) child support, 2) spousal support, 3) medical, and 4) agency processing fees. Think of incoming payments as a pitcher of water and child support, spousal support, medical expenses, and processing fees as empty glasses set-up in a row. The child support glass is filled first. Only after the child support glass is filled will the spousal support glass be filled and so on until all the glasses are filled.

Show All Answers

1. Why was S.E.T.S created?
2. Hoes does S.E.T.S. determine the amount of my support checks?
3. Are there exceptions to these priorities?
4. Why are withholding orders issued for a monthly amount?
5. What if I have an order for a weekly or biweekly support payments?
6. Why is the total amount of my weekly support checks less than the monthly amount ordered?
7. How often should I receive a support check?
8. Do holidays affect when I should receive a support check?
9. Can my support check be delayed for any other reason?
10. How will I know if my support check will be delayed due to technical problems?
11. How may I obtain information on my S.E.T.S. support checks?
12. What if I do not receive a check within these times frames?
13. What is the collection date for a support check and why is it so important?
14. If I still have a question about my support check what should I do?