When you pay child support, you not only have to pay the amount ordered by the court. The Virginia Department of Social Services can also assess fees and other costs for you to pay under state law.
You may pay interest and fees in certain situations. The other parent who receives the money may also have to pay some costs.
Fees for noncustodial parents
If you pay child support and you have an overdue balance, the law says the DSS can charge you interest because it is a debt. The interest will go to the other parent as part of the child support payment. However, if the custodial parent is receiving public assistance, the interest payments would go to the state.
DSS may also make you pay fees for paternity testing, providing copies of documents and attorney fees in cases won against you by the department. If the state has to take your federal refund to pay overdue child support, you also will face a fee for that.
Fees for custodial parents
If you are the parent receiving child support, you may have to pay an application fee if you close your case and then want the department to reopen it. You have to pay a fee if you do not receive public assistance payments each year once you receive $500 in child support.
If you request a paternity test, you must pay for it yourself. You also have to pay for copies of documents.
Extra fees and costs can add up, but it is your right to understand them and know when the state assesses them against you.
