Income withholding is a deduction of a payment for child support from a parent’s income. An order for income withholding can be from a court or administratively ordered by a child support agency—such as the child support division of the state’s Attorney General’s office.
The parent's employer often transmits the money directly to the child support agency.
In Kentucky, income withholding is a common method used to collect child support payments. When a parent is ordered to pay child support, the payment can be automatically deducted from their wages through an income withholding order. This order can be issued by a court or administratively by a child support agency, such as the child support division of the Kentucky Attorney General's office. Once the order is in place, the employer of the parent who owes child support is responsible for deducting the specified amount from the parent's income and sending it directly to the child support agency. The agency then ensures that the funds are transferred to the parent who is entitled to receive the child support. Kentucky law requires immediate income withholding in most child support cases, unless both parents and the court agree on an alternative arrangement or if it is deemed not in the child's best interest.