Establishing Paternity

• Before child support orders are established in Iowa, courts must prove that a man is the child's father. Parents can sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity form at the hospital after the child is born to establish paternity. Genetic tests are also taken to prove paternity. Mothers can work with the Iowa Department of Human Services to locate the child's father, whether he resides in or out-of-state, and order him to test to confirm that he is the child's father.
  
  

Setting Court Orders

• Both parents' gross monthly incomes are taken into consideration when Iowa courts establish child support payment levels. Deductions parents are allowed to take against their gross monthly income include federal and state income tax, union dues and monies required to support other children they are legally responsible for. Custodial and non-custodial parents are not allowed to deduct rents, mortgages, car payments and charitable contributions from their gross monthly income when determining their child support payment levels.
  
  

Modifying Court Orders

• Parents wishing to modify their child support court order should contact the Iowa Child Support Recovery Unit (CSRU). If there is a change equal to 50 percent or more to a non-custodial parent's income or the non-custodial parent has another child to support, these parents should work with their attorney to submit a request to modify their court order. Parents are responsible for making child support payments at the current level until their court order is changed. They must also pay any back child support that is due at the former rate, not the modified rate.
  
  

Penalties for Non-Payment

• Non-custodial parents who fail to remain current in their child support payments can have their state and federal tax refunds intercepted. The Iowa Department of Human Services is also authorized to garnish their payroll checks, place a lien on their property and bank accounts and work with state courts to suspend their professional licenses, driver's license and passports. As of January 2011, back child support monies owed must equal $150 for the state to intercept a parent's tax refund checks. After payments are $2,500 or more in the arrears, courts can revoke the non-paying parent's passport.