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 North Carolina, income withholding is the primary method of collecting 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 enforcement agency. 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, which then disburses the funds to the custodial parent. Employers are required to comply with the income withholding order and may face penalties for failing to do so. The North Carolina Child Support Enforcement (CSE) agency, which operates under the Department of Health and Human Services, is the state entity typically involved in administering these orders and ensuring that child support payments are made in a timely manner.