How Are Most Support Payments Made?

In Minnesota, about 70 percent of all support payments are made through income withholding.

Income withholding
As of January 1, 1994, all new and modified child support orders must address income withholding. This means that if a noncustodial parent has been ordered to pay child support and is employed, the noncustodial parent`s employer must withhold the child support amount from the noncustodial parent`s paycheck. The employer can either mail that amount to the Child Support Payment Center in St. Paul or electronically transfer the funds to the state. The payment center`s mailing address is:

Minnesota Child Support Payment Center
P.O. Box 64306
St Paul, MN 55164­0306

Based on the number of times per month the employer withholds money, the custodial parent may receive child support weekly, bi­weekly, or monthly.

The court may waive income withholding only if:

• There is no past due support
• The court finds a reason for waiving it
• Both parents agree
• The court finds payments are likely to be regular and timely
• The court finds that income withholding would not be in the best interests of the child

These payments can be paid by cash, check, money order, or electronic funds transfer. Employers and other state child support agencies may choose to use electronic funds transfer as a method of paying support.