Los Angeles County Child Support Services in Commerce

The Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department (CSSD) helps parents establish parentage, obtain a court order for child support, collect payments, and enforce orders when a parent falls behind. The department works in the public interest to make sure children are supported by both parents and does not represent either parent in court.1Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Child Support Legal Process Services are available to any parent or legal caretaker, whether or not the family receives public assistance.

How to Reach the Department

The main office is the Commerce Division at 5500 S. Eastern Avenue, Commerce, CA 90040. Walk-in hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.2Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Locations The Customer Contact Center at (866) 901-3212 provides automated case information 24 hours a day; live representatives answer Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can also email info@cssd.lacounty.gov.3Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Contact Us

Five regional offices accept walk-ins during the same business hours:

  • Van Nuys Division: 7555 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91405
  • Pomona Division: 3179 W. Temple Ave, Pomona, CA 91768
  • South Los Angeles Division: 8300 S. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90044
  • Torrance Division: 20221 Hamilton Ave, Torrance, CA 90502
  • Antelope Valley Division: 42281 10th St W, Lancaster, CA 935342Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Locations

Opening a Case

You can request an application online, by email, by text message, or by calling the Customer Contact Center.3Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Contact Us Before you submit, gather:

  • Government-issued ID for you, plus whatever identifying information you have for the other parent: full name, date of birth, Social Security number, employer, and address.
  • A birth certificate for each child in the case.
  • Any existing custody, visitation, or support orders.
  • Both parents’ three most recent pay stubs and most recent tax return.
  • An Income and Expense Declaration (Form FL-150), required whenever a court hearing is scheduled.4California Courts Self-Help Guide. Income and Expense Declaration FL-150

Missing documents slow a case down. If you don’t know the other parent’s income or whereabouts, the department has tools to locate them and subpoena employer records, but the more you can supply upfront, the faster things move.

How California Calculates Support

California law treats child support as a shared obligation proportional to each parent’s ability to pay.5California Legislative Information. California Family Code 4053 A statewide guideline formula produces a presumptively correct amount, and a judge will almost always order that number unless a special circumstance justifies departing from it. The main inputs are each parent’s net monthly disposable income, the percentage of time the higher-earning parent has physical responsibility for the child, and the combined income of both parents.6California Legislative Information. California Family Code 4055

If you want a preview of what a court might order, the California Department of Child Support Services publishes a free online guideline calculator that uses the same formula.7California Child Support Services. Guideline Calculator

Establishing Parentage and Obtaining the Order

When parents were married at the time of birth, both are presumed legal parents. When they were not, parentage has to be established before a support order can issue. The simplest route is a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage, which both parents can sign at the hospital or afterward. Once filed, it carries the same legal weight as a court judgment of parentage.8Justia Law. California Family Code 7570-7577 If no voluntary declaration exists, CSSD can arrange genetic testing.

Once parentage is confirmed, CSSD files a Summons, Complaint, and Proposed Judgment and has the other parent served.9Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Establishing a Court Order The packet includes a blank Answer form. If the other parent files an Answer, the court schedules a hearing. If no response comes in, the proposed judgment can become the final order by default with no hearing at all.1Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Child Support Legal Process Many cases skip the courtroom entirely: when parents agree on an amount, they sign a stipulation that becomes a binding order once a judicial officer signs it.

Making and Receiving Payments

All California child support payments flow through the State Disbursement Unit (SDU). The most common collection method is an Income Withholding Order sent directly to the paying parent’s employer, which triggers automatic paycheck deductions.10California Department of Child Support Services. Employer Payment Information California caps the withholding at 50 percent of net disposable earnings.11California Department of Child Support Services. Employer Frequently Asked Questions

Self-employed parents and anyone without an active wage withholding order can pay in several ways:

  • Online through the ExpertPay Child Support Payment Center, which accepts Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo.12California Child Support Services. CA Child Support Services
  • Through the LA County TouchPay mobile app for debit and credit card payments (a 2.7 percent service fee applies).13Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Child Support Services
  • By phone through the automated line at (866) 901-3212.
  • By electronic funds transfer set up as a recurring bank draft through the SDU.
  • By mail, with a check or money order payable to the SDU.

The receiving parent gets funds through direct deposit into a checking or savings account or on a Way2Go Card, a Mastercard-branded debit card issued through Comerica Bank that works anywhere Mastercard is accepted.14California Child Support Services. California State Disbursement Unit

Changing an Existing Order

Either parent can ask CSSD to review the current order after a substantial change in circumstances. Qualifying changes include a significant shift in either parent’s income, a change in who has primary custody, a change in the time-sharing schedule, or the paying parent starting to receive SSI, veterans’ benefits, or general relief. The department must pursue a court modification when running the numbers shows that support should change by at least $50 or 20 percent, whichever is less.15Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Modify My Order

To start, complete an Income and Expense Declaration (Form FL-150) and email it to CSSD-ModifyMyOrder@cssd.lacounty.gov, mail it to the Commerce office, or call (866) 901-3212 to request a review. One detail catches people off guard: you owe the current amount until a judge signs the new order. Filing a request does not pause or reduce the existing obligation, and modifications cannot be applied retroactively to amounts that accrued before the request was filed.16California Legislative Information. California Family Code 3651 If your income drops, file right away rather than waiting.

What Happens If You Fall Behind

Unpaid child support is one of the few debts that reaches almost every corner of a person’s financial life. Enforcement actions available to the department include:

  • Suspension of driver’s licenses and professional or occupational licenses.1Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Child Support Legal Process
  • Passport denial when past-due support reaches $2,500 or more, including on renewals.17U.S. Department of State. Pay Your Child Support Before Applying for a Passport
  • State and federal tax refund intercepts redirecting refunds to cover arrears.
  • Income withholding orders carrying the same legal force as a court-signed earnings assignment.
  • Interest on unpaid balances at 10 percent per year under California law.

If you are already behind, LA County CSSD runs a debt reduction program that may lower amounts owed to the state. The department’s website hosts a “Reduce My Debt” portal with eligibility details.18Los Angeles County Department of Child Support Services. About the Los Angeles County Department of Child Support Services

When Child Support Ends

In California, child support usually ends when the child turns 18 and has graduated from high school. If the child is still a full-time high school student at 18, support continues until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first. Support also ends earlier if the child marries, joins the military, or is legally emancipated by a court. A court may order support to continue indefinitely for a child with a physical or mental disability that prevents self-support.

Termination is not automatic. If you are the paying parent, do not simply stop sending money when your child turns 18. The existing order stays enforceable until it is formally modified or terminated, so contact CSSD or file a motion with the court to close it out properly and avoid a surprise arrearage months later.