IV-D Child Support
What does IV-D mean?
Title IV-D of the Social Security Act requires all states to have a child support program. The Child Support program is sometimes referred to as the IV-D program. If you receive services from your local child support office, your child support case is a IV-D case.
In Tennessee, the Department of Human Services administers the Child Support Program. Offices are located across the state in all 31 Judicial Districts. The services are provided through local district attorneys, DHS staff and private agencies. The Child Support Program provides services that promote parental responsibility to meet the financial needs of children and their families.
(Child Support Program Fact Sheet)
Watch Training Videos from Lunch & Learn
Lunch & Learn videos are different than the individual training videos listed below each section as these are interactive with different counties, AOC, DHS, and others participating in the discussions.
- 3/4/25 – Processing new Petitions and Orders
- 3/7/25 – Processing Payments/Bonds and Warrants
- 3/11/25 – IV-D Reimbursement Process
- 3/14/25 – IV-D Attorney on Quest
New IV-D Petition Received
- When a new petition to establish paternity or support is received from the child support division, you must add the child(ren), petitioner and respondent as people in the system.
- You will then add a child support case.
- You will schedule the first hearing and scan the petition, answering the questions.
- When the summons comes back you will scan it and show served or unserved.
(Video) (Quick Reference Guide)
Processing an Order/Updating the Case
- Child support orders can either be created in Quest or scanned.
- When an order is received, the case must be updated to reflect the details in that order.
(Video) (Quick Reference Guide)
Receipting a Child Support Payment
- Some counties accept child support payments in the clerk’s office while others require the Respondent to make payments directly to Nashville.
- Most counties forward the child support payments they collect to Central Receipting in Nashville.
- Some counties accept direct payments and mail them directly to the custodian.
(Video) (Quick Reference Guide)
Processing a Contempt Petition
- When a Contempt Petition is filed, scan it into the existing child support case.
- If an attorney is appointed the Respondent, add the attorney to the Names assigned to the case and either create or scan and Order Appointing Counsel.
- This will add a filed statute of Contempt to the Respondent.
(Video) (Quick Reference Guide)
Processing Warrants/Bonds
- A warrant may be referred to as a Capias, Attachment, Mittimus, or Bench Warrant. These are issued when a party fails to comply with court orders and instruct the sheriff to take that individual into custody.
- The warrant can either be created in Quest or scanned.
- The documents will add a warrant to the Person Detail screen.
- Cash Bond/Purge payments are receipted.
(Video) (Quick Reference Guide)
Processing Motions/ Income Withholding Order/Modification Petitions
- All other documents that are received are processed the same way as stated in the sections above.
- Locate the child support case, scan the document.
IV-D Reimbursement
Pursuant to T.C.A. 36-5-117, the clerks may be reimbursed by the DHS for costs associated with providing services in Title IV-D child support cases. This process includes:
- Assessing the reimbursement fee.
- Creating the monthly invoice to DHS
- Receiving payments from DHS
- Processing DHS IV-D Magistrate docket reporting
(Video) (Quick Reference Guide)
(DHS Clerk Reimbursement Fee Schedule)
IV-D Attorney on Quest
The AOC will pay the Quest license for the IV-D Attorney access Quest, if allowed by the Court. The Attorney can file motions and proposed orders through Quest or use the new eFiling system!