In Minnesota, the federal government has a say in what child support laws are passed. In 1975, the federal government became involved and enacted laws that established a uniform minimum standard that all state systems needed to adhere to. The goal was to avoid so many requests for public assistance.
The federal government went so far as to give funding to those states that adopted the minimum standards of child support law. The feds currently give 68 percent of the state’s entire enforcement funding. The state bears 8 percent of the total cost of Minnesota’s costs, while the counties in this state shoulder the rest of the 24 percent. The state has to comply with federal law or their portion will not be given to them.
The Minnesota legislature is the entity that sets child support policy. It is, of course, in line with what the federal law states and the influence allows for a large amount of funding for the many issues that come up in a child support arena. It helps that the federal laws are general and can be made more specific by the state.
The Department of Human Services is the executive branch agency that oversees Minnesota’s child support system. The different counties in this state administer the child support system, though.
The state of Minnesota has issued thousands of child support orders in cases where there has been a divorce. It can be so confusing when you look at the big picture. All you are really concerned about is how these different entities affect your child support problems. Having this information in your back pocket is useful and having an attorney by your side can be so valuable. This professional knows the laws and how they affect you and your children.
Source: Research Department, Minnesota House of Representatives, “Minnesota’s Child Support Laws,” accessed Jan. 01, 2016