How do i file a complaint against child support

Customer Relations | CA Child Support Services

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California Child Support Services continuously strives to ensure that participants receive the highest level of service from the local child support agencies and through the California State Disbursement Unit (SDU). If you have an open child support case, you have rights regarding the services you receive.

Please note, if you are not satisfied with the service that you are receiving, the first of point of contact should be the Ombudsperson for the local agency that you are not satisfied with. 

If you are still not satisfied with the service that you’re receiving after speaking with the Ombudsperson, you have the right to file a complaint through the Complaint Resolution Program. Either the person paying child support or the person receiving support can file a complaint.

Choose from the Customer Relations categories below to learn more:

• Ombudsperson
• Complaint Deadlines
• About State Hearings 
• State Hearing Deadlines 
• Forms & Publications 

Ombudsperson

If you need help with a problem, ask to speak with the “Ombudsperson” – it is his or her job to:

• Help you get child support services.
• Explain your rights and responsibilities.
• Help you resolve problems with your case.
• Explain the complaint process before, during, and after a complaint is filed.
• Help you request a state hearing if you are not satisfied with the results of the complaint resolution process. 
• Forms are available at each agency, or you can download one below.

To reach your Ombudsperson, contact the agency handling your case.  To contact your agency, connect to your county’s website here.

Please Note

Your local child support agency can resolve complaints about:

• Customer service
• Timeliness of service
• Payment and billing problems
• Decisions to close a child support case

Your local agency cannot resolve complaints regarding actions taken by the court.  These would be things like:

• The amount of a child support order
• Custody
• Visitation
• Spousal support orders

Only the court can resolve these matters. See your county Family Law Facilitator for help with these topics.

Local Agency Deadline for Complaints

• You must file your complaint within 90 days of the date you knew, or should have known, about the subject of your complaint.
• The local child support agency is required to respond to every complaint – in writing – within 30 days.
• If a complaint cannot be resolved within 30 days, your agency may extend the time for resolving a complaint up to a maximum of 30 additional days. If the period for resolving a complaint is extended for any reason, the agency will mail a notice stating the reason for the extension.
• If your local child support agency does not respond to your complaint in writing, you must request a State Hearing within 90 days from the date of your first written complaint.

State Hearing

Forms to request a state hearing are available below or you can get them from your local child support agency.

Instructions for requesting a state hearing are included on all complaint resolution forms, and your agency Ombudsperson will help you complete the forms correctly.   If you get a state hearing, you will be notified of the date, time and place of the hearing. If you are unable to attend, ask for a new hearing date or for the hearing to be held by phone.

Only the following issues will qualify for a state hearing, according to California Family Code section 17801(a):

• Denial of child support services
• Child support services required by federal or state law, regulation or department letter have not been provided within a reasonable time, or in the manner required by law
• Incorrect or missing support payments
• Incorrect calculation of the amount of arrears owed
• Decisions to close a case

State Hearing Deadlines 

• You must file your complaint within 90 days of the date you knew, or should have known, about the subject of your complaint.
• You must request a state hearing within 90 days of the date of the written decision of the local child support agency on your complaint.
• If the local child support agency does not respond to your complaint in writing, you must request a state hearing within 90 days from the date of your complaint.

Customer Relations – Child Support Services

It is our goal to provide timely and effective customer service to the parents and caretakers we serve. We recognize that our work often requires us to deal with personal and private aspects of your life and interact with you in times of crisis and stress. We make every effort to treat you with the respect and dignity you deserve.

We continue to strive to give you options in how you choose to get information, address your concerns and access our services.

Case Management

In 2009 we changed the way we manage our caseload. Everyone who has a case with our office is assigned a caseworker. That caseworker will manage your case from start to finish. It is our hope that the continuity this structure provides will make you feel more comfortable with the process and result in improved customer service.

Customer Connect (Case Information System)

Customer Connect is California’s self-service child support case information system designed with you in mind. Using this website you can:

• View payment information
• Review case information
• Verify court dates and appointments
• Update your account information
• Reset or change your Personal Identification Number (PIN)
• Enroll to receive eDocuments

You can also send us an e-mail using the “Contact Us” feature. We will make every effort to reply to your e-mail within three (3) working days.

You will have to log back on to the website to review our response.

Visit Customer Connect  

Ombudsperson Division Program

The goal of the Ombudsperson Program is to make the system work for our customers. Our Ombudsperson Division assists parents, employers, agencies, and the general public by:

• Responding to questions, requests and complaints
• Forwarding requests and information to our area offices for follow-up
• Helping Person Receiving Support (PRS) and Person Paying Support (PPS) through the complaint resolution and the state hearing processes
• Providing referrals to other agencies such as the Department of Public Social Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, and the District Attorney’s Office
• Providing informational material about child support rights and responsibilities

The Ombudsperson Division cannot:

• Represent you at a state hearing

• Provide legal advice

You may contact our Ombudsperson Division at

Ombudsperson Program

Complaint Resolution

Customers (Persons Receiving Support and Persons Paying Support and their authorized representatives) may file formal complaints with the local child support agency (LCSA) about actions taken or not taken on their cases. This process is called the “Complaint Resolution” process.

Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department
State Hearing/Complaint Unit
P.O. Box 911099
Commerce, CA 90091

• Your complaint should be filed within 90 days of when you learned of the action or inaction you are complaining about.

• The complaint may be about actions taken or not taken by the Child Support Services Department (CSSD). Some examples of issues that may be the subject of a complaint are: opening or not opening a case; closing or not closing a case; collecting or not collecting child support; and disputes over the amount of child support arrears owed.

• The complaint may not be about issues that are outside of our control or beyond the scope of our duties. For example, you cannot file a complaint about court decisions or issues surrounding custody and visitation. If you are uncertain whether your complaint qualifies for “Complaint Resolution,” contact the Ombudsperson Division at (323) 869-5099. If your complaint does not qualify for “Complaint Resolution,” an Ombudsperson may be able to resolve your issue in another way.

• Once you file your complaint, we have 30 days to resolve the problem and send you a written response.

Additional information about the Complaint Resolution Process can be found at:

Customer Service Download Request For Complaint Resolution Form

How to write a complaint against a bailiff for alimony

1. A complaint against a decision of a bailiff or a deputy senior bailiff, with the exception of a decision approved by a senior bailiff, against their actions (inaction) is filed with a senior bailiff, who is subordinate to the bailiff or deputy senior bailiff.

(Part 1 as amended by Federal Law No. 225-FZ of July 18, 2011)

(see text in previous revision )

2. Complaint against the decision of the bailiff-performer, approved by the senior bailiff, the decision of the senior bailiff, deputy chief bailiff of the subject (chief bailiff of the subjects) of the Russian Federation, their actions (inaction) is filed with the chief bailiff of the subject (chief bailiff subjects) of the Russian Federation, under whose jurisdiction they are located. nine0003

(Part 2 as amended by Federal Law No. 425-FZ dated December 30, 2015)

(see text in previous revision )

2.1. A complaint against the decision of the bailiff-executor of the division of the Federal Bailiff Service, approved by the senior bailiff, the decision of the senior bailiff of the specified unit, on their actions (inaction) is submitted to the deputy chief bailiff of the Russian Federation.

(Part 2.1 was introduced by the Federal Law of December 3, 2011 N 389-FZ)

3. A complaint against the decision of the chief bailiff of the subject (chief bailiff of the subjects) of the Russian Federation or the deputy chief bailiff of the Russian Federation, their actions (inaction) is filed with the chief bailiff of the Russian Federation.

(as amended by the Federal Laws of 18.07.2011N 225-FZ, of 30.12.2015N 425-FZ)

(see text in previous revision )

4. A complaint against a decision of an official of the bailiff service, his actions (inaction) can be filed both directly with a higher official of the bailiff service, and through an official of the bailiff service, the decision, actions (inaction) of which are being appealed. nine0003

5. Officials of the bailiff service, decisions, actions (inaction) of which are being appealed, send a complaint to a higher official of the bailiff service within three days from the date of its receipt.

6. In cases where an official of the bailiff service who has received a complaint against a decision, action (inaction) is not authorized to consider it, the specified official is obliged to send a complaint within three days to an official of the bailiff service authorized to consider it, notifying of this in writing by the complainant. nine0003

7. A person who has filed a complaint may withdraw it before a decision is made on it.

Send a complaint to the bailiffs at the place of enforcement proceedings. If the case is opened at the place of residence of the husband, then it should be filed there.

Article 128. The procedure for challenging the decisions of officials of the bailiff service, their actions (inaction)

1. Decisions of an official of the bailiff service, his actions (inaction) on the execution of a writ of execution may be challenged in an arbitration court or a court of general jurisdiction in the manner established by the procedural legislation of the Russian Federation, taking into account the specifics established by this Federal Law. nine0003

(as amended by Federal Law No. 425-FZ of December 30, 2015)

(see text in previous revision )

2. An application to challenge the decision of an official of the bailiff service, his actions (inaction) is filed with the arbitration court in the following cases:

1) enforcement of an enforcement document issued by an arbitration court;

2) fulfillment of the requirements contained in the executive documents specified in clauses 5 and 6 of part 1 of Article 12 of this Federal Law in relation to an organization or citizen engaged in entrepreneurial activities without forming a legal entity; nine0003

3) execution of a decision of a bailiff issued in accordance with paragraph 6 of Article 30 of this Federal Law, if the debtor is an organization or a citizen engaged in entrepreneurial activity without forming a legal entity, and enforcement proceedings have been initiated in connection with its entrepreneurial activity;

4) in other cases established by the arbitration procedural legislation of the Russian Federation.

4. Consideration of the application by the court is carried out within ten days according to the rules established by the procedural legislation of the Russian Federation, taking into account the specifics established by this Federal Law.

Complaint about the inaction of the bailiffs - sample

The main task of the bailiff service is to correctly comply with the decisions made by the court. Therefore, a complaint about the inaction of bailiffs is a completely natural move. Service employees must fulfill their duties (if someone does not pay alimony, etc.). When it comes to the fact that the bailiff demonstrates inaction in matters of the return of alimony, this must be properly responded to. The main thing is to do everything in time so that the state authorities can receive a complaint about the inaction of the bailiff service and properly respond to it. nine0003

When is it appropriate to write a complaint about the inaction of the bailiff service

Complaint about the inaction of the bailiff for alimony must be justified. A person must prove that the perpetrator is inactive in his case. The law specifies what powers a bailiff has, according to what requirements a bailiff can hold a position, what rights and obligations an official has, and also what legal and social guarantees a bailiff receives. nine0003

Federal Law No. 229 specifies in more detail how a court decision on the inaction of a specialist when returning alimony and more should be implemented. It also talks about the terms according to which the decision should come into force after the alimony has stopped being paid, what features there are in the conduct of enforcement proceedings. A lot of information is presented about what rights and obligations each participant in the procedure has when receiving money for overdue alimony.

The law also contains information regarding what actions can be used to collect alimony without going beyond the law, how enforcement proceedings are financed and whether it is possible to appeal alimony decision, and how to do it.

According to these provisions, there will be grounds to file a complaint about alimony if a representative of the bailiff service violates his duties, including their failure to fulfill them. For example, when the debtor should have paid alimony a long time ago, but did not. nine0003

Where to send the sample complaint against the bailiff

In order for a complaint to the bailiff service to be accepted and considered, it is required to send it to the correct place. You can influence the inaction of the executive person if you send a complaint to a higher person who controls the work of the bailiff who ignores his duties.

If this does not help or the matter is ignored, you can contact the state authorities. They will have a beneficial effect on the procedure, and the bailiff will be held accountable. This can be done by the Office of the Federal Bailiff Service of the Russian Federation, the court (but only the one located in the place where the performer operates), the prosecutor's office (the prosecutor's office should be contacted if the actions of the bailiff can be interpreted as a crime) and the presidential administration. nine0003

Appeal should be carried out in ascending order, starting with the main department of bailiffs and ending with the presidential administration. But one should also focus on the peculiarity of the inaction of the bailiff. If it is of a criminal nature, you should contact the prosecutor's office, and not wait for the weather from the sea.

How to write a complaint

In order for the executor of the judgment to fulfill his duties, it is necessary to draw up a complaint if he does not. The complaint is drawn up according to the classical algorithm and on a special form. To obtain a form, you need to contact the FSSP or the court. The main thing is that the court should be exactly where it is planned to file this complaint in the future. nine0003

The document must be in writing and contain all the necessary information:

• the name of the government agency where the complaint is filed;
• personal information from the applicant;
• the address of the person making the complaint;
• information about the performer who did not cope with his duties or did not fulfill his official rights;
• details of the document for appeal;
nine0111 justification for writing a complaint;
• what requirements the applicant wants to issue;
• list of documents attached to the complaint;
• date and signature.

But a complainant filing a complaint against the bailiff service is not required to independently collect supporting documentation. After accepting the complaint, the organization itself can request the necessary confirmation.

Complaint templates

A complaint about the inaction of bailiffs must be submitted in writing. nine0080 The document must not only be correctly drawn up, but also signed by the person who submits it. If for some reason he cannot do this, the representative can sign, as well as submit the document to the relevant authorities. But if a complaint about the inaction of the bailiff is filed by an authorized person, a power of attorney must be submitted to the general list of documents.

It is not enough to write a complaint, since it is necessary to send the document in question in such a way that the bailiff receives it. nine0079 There are several options for how to do this. The standard way is to hand over the documents in person. You can also send a document using the Internet or mail. Another alternative method is to pass through a representative.

Depending on the selected document transmission option, you can compose the paper in virtual or real form. For example, when transferring a document in person and using the services of a representative, as well as by mail, a written document must be transferred. But if you use the Internet, you can get by with an electronic sample of the complaint. nine0003

Drawing up a document appealing against the bailiff's inaction must be done in two copies. The first version of the document is sent to the government agency where the person complains, and the second copy will be returned to the applicant, but with a stamp indicating that the document was accepted by the authority where it was sent.

When sending a document by post, the application must be made by registered mail. So the applicant will receive a notification at the moment when the recipient has the documents. If you send additional documents, then the letter should contain an inventory of attachments. nine0086