General Information
If you already have a court order
All court-ordered child support cases are not automatically forwarded to the Arkansas Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) for enforcement or for payment processing. If someone needs help to enforce a court order, the custodial party, the person with physical custody of the child, may open a case with OCSE. See Apply for Services.
If someone has a court order and payment is to be made by income withholding to the Arkansas Child Support Clearinghouse (also known as the Clearinghouse or the State Disbursement Unit or SDU), either party to the case, a party’s attorney, or an employer can provide a copy of the court order to the Clearinghouse along with contact information for the parties. This is called a payment processing case because OCSE simply receives payments and forwards them to the custodial party. The Clearinghouse is the official record-keeper for the state, so if the parties need to provide proof of child support payment, either party is able to request a pay history showing how much child support was paid and when.
If you do not have a court order
If a custodial party does not have a court order for child or medical support and would like one, he or she may wish to consult a private attorney, or he or she can open a case with OCSE and we will petition the court to establish a court order. OCSE only has the authority to pursue a court order for child and medical support. All other concerns, such as custody, visitation, or property issues may be addressed with the help of a private attorney.
