The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has a Child Support Enforcement Division (DOR/CSE). The DOR/CSE gets child support orders, helps parents change child support orders, and makes sure that parents pay their child support orders. You can apply to DOR/CSE for help.
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The Department of Revenue
Produced by Attorney Jeff Wolf for MassLegalHelp
Reviewed June 2013
Reviewed June 2013
DOR/CSE can:
- work with parents to get a child support order;
- work with the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) to get a child support order;
- help find the other parent;
- figure out who the father of a child is – “paternity”;
- go to court to get child support orders;
- collect child support and send it to the parent the child lives with;
- review child support orders for possible changes;
- go to court to ask to change child support orders;
- make sure parents pay the child support by:
- increasing the amount of child support taken from the parent’s paycheck;
- charging interest on past-due child support;
- seizing a parent’s property;
- taking a parent’s tax refund;
- levying a parent's bank account;
- taking a parent's driver's license or professional license;
- reporting overdue child support to credit reporting agencies; and
- taking a parent to court.
DOR/CSE does not:
- deal with custody, parenting time, or visitation;
- take either parent’s side in court. Their job is to get the right amount of child support for your child;
- hire private investigators to see if a parent is hiding money;
- make parents obey alimony orders if it is not part of a child support order; or
- make parents pay child support by bringing criminal charges, except in very special situations.
Find Legal Aid
You may be able to get free legal help from your local legal aid program. Or email a question about your own legal problem to a lawyer.
Helpful Links
- Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement Division (DOR/CSE) website
- See DOR/CSE’s pamphlet Information for Parents Who Pay Child Support
- See DOR/CSE's Administrative Enforcement brochure
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