Paternity and/or child support establishment services are available through the Friend of the Court office. The process can be started two ways:
Once the request is made, it is reviewed by a child support specialist at the Office of Child Support, who then makes a referral to the Friend of the Court office in most circumstances. Our child support investigator will open a file and schedule an appointment with both parents to complete the necessary paperwork. At the initial interview, a Circuit Court case will be filed and served on the non-custodial parent, if appropriate.
The time from the initial request for services until a child support order is entered varies depending on the complexity of the case as well as the cooperation of the parties. Once the initial child support order enters, a caseworker is assigned to provide enforcement services as detailed on this website.
View the Friend of the Court FORMS & DOCUMENTS page for information and applications.