I have been served with papers to change my child support. What should I do?

• Read this only if you live in the state of Washington or have received papers about child support from the state of Washington.

1. Talk to a lawyer right away. Talk with one with family law expertise, if you can afford one. If you do not have a lot of money, see below.

2. If you cannot get legal advice soon, you should figure out if this is a court case or an administrative case.

In Washington, a court order is a Child Support Order from a Superior Court.  It will say this on the first page, towards the top.

If your papers say "State of Washington Department of Social and Health Services Division of Child Support" or "State of Washington Office of Administrative Hearings" at the top, you do not have a court order. You have an administrative order. Do not use this packet. Read Do You Owe Child Support?

3. If this is a court case, figure out which packet you need to respond.

Look at the title of your papers in the upper right section of the first page, under the case number.

• If you received a Summons and Petition to Modify Child Support Order, use Respond to a Petition to Modify Your Child Support Court Order.
   

• If you received a Motion to Adjust Child Support Order, use Respond to a Motion to Adjust Your Child Support Order.
   

• If you received a Notice of Hearing or Note for Calendar Motion and a Motion for Temporary Family Law Order, your case could be one of several types of family law cases. Get the right Respond to Motions for Temporary Family Law Orders or Immediate Restraining Orders packet for your type of case.
   

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Visit Northwest Justice Project to find out how to get legal help.