Child Support

If your child mostly lives with you, you can get child support as part of a court order in these types of cases:

• divorce;
• paternity; or
• child custody.¹

You and the other parent can also create a written support agreement. It will be enforceable if you get it notarized and file it in court.²

Another way to get child support is to apply for services with the Mississippi Department of Human Services. They can help parents do the following:

• get a court order for child support and health insurance (medical support);
• find the other parent;
• establish paternity;
• enforce court orders for child support and medical support;
• change (modify) a support order;
• work with other states, countries, and tribal nations to establish and enforce support when one parent does not live in Mississippi or has assets in another state; and
• collect or make child support payments.³

If you get public benefits such as TANF, SNAP, or Medicaid, you will be sent (referred) automatically to the Mississippi Department of Human Services for child support services. Children in foster care are also referred automatically.³

Note: Unwed parents must take steps to establish legal paternity before the judge can order child support.⁴ However, the judge might be able to give you a temporary child support order while the paternity case is pending.⁵

¹ Miss. Code §§ 93-5-23; 93-9-9; 93-11-65; 93-25-401
² Miss. Code § 43-19-33
³ Miss. Code § 43-19-31; see Understanding Child Support: A Handbook for Parents by the Mississippi Department of Human Services
⁴ See Miss. Code § 93-9-9
⁵ Miss. Code § 93-11-65(10)