Domestic Relations

Glossary

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(This is a list of words or phrases which are found in this reference and their meaning.)

APA - The annualized periodic amount is defined as the amount of current support due for the month for an obligation

Appeal - a document filed, usually by an attorney, stating why the recommended Order of the Hearing Officer is not acceptable

Arrears - back support owed

Case Number - the 9-digit number assigned to a PACSES support case

Complaint - the name of the document that begins a support case

Conference - the meeting held with a Domestic Relations Officer and the parties to get information and agree about the amount of support to be paid, and make decisions about any other parts of a support Order

Credit Bureau Reporting - sending a report to credit reporting agencies informing them of defendants who owe over 60 days in arrears

Contempt Conference - a conference in which the Defendant appears before a Domestic Relations Enforcement Officer to explain why he or she is not following the Support Order. If no agreement is reached at the Contempt Conference, the matter is scheduled before a Judge at a Contempt Hearing

Contempt Hearing - a hearing before a Judge in a Court Room to determine if a defendant willfully failed to comply with a support Order

Defendant - the person who is the "absent parent"; the one who pays support; also called the "non-custodial parent"

Dependents - the person or persons (spouse and/or children) whom someone is bound by law to support

Domestic Relations Officer - An employee of the Domestic Relations Office who holds Support or Contempt Conferences and takes other caseworker actions when defendants are not following their support Order

Genetic Testing - Testing used to establish paternity

Hearing - an official Court meeting before a Hearing Officer (Master) or Judge

Hearing Officer (Master) - an attorney appointed by the Court to hear support cases when there has not been an agreement at the Conference

IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system - a telephone system hooked up to the Domestic Relations PACSES computer which gives payment and other information without requiring the client to wait to speak to someone (available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week); the operator can be reached through this line also (during normal business hours)
Interstate - see U.I.F.S.A.

IRS Intercept - the action of taking a defendant's IRS tax refund for the purpose of paying support arrears

Lien - past due support automatically becomes a legal claim on the property of the person owing arrears.

Local Case - a case in which both parties are under the control of the Delaware County Court
Member ID Number - a 10-digit personal identification number that identifies you as a member in a PACSES case or cases

Modifying an Order - changing an Order, such as raising or lowering the amount of support, or adding or subtracting a dependent

Notice of Non-Compliance - a notice to the defendant that the support Order is not being followed; usually sent if there has been no payment for 30 or more days

PACSES (Pennsylvania Child Support Enforcement System) - a large, statewide computer system which is used to track cases, keep financial records, and to automate the enforcement of support orders

Parties - the adult people involved in the support case

Paternity - legally being the father of a child

Plaintiff - the person who asks for support; the one who starts the case, the one with whom the child lives; also called the "custodial parent"

Reciprocal Case - a case in which one of the parties is under the control of a court other than Delaware County (see U.I.F.S.A.)

Retroactive Arrears - back support that happened between the time the Plaintiff started the support case and the date the Order is entered.

T.A.N.F. - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: cash welfare grant for children

U.I.F.S.A. - Uniform Interstate Family Support Act - governs administration of Interstate Support cases

Wage Attachment Order - an Order of Court telling an employer to take a certain amount of money from the defendant's pay for support, and requiring the employer to pay the support directly to the State Collection and Disbursement Unit.

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