Category Archives: Child Support

Google Home May Help Us Understand the Definition of “Legal Advice,” and Therefore of What Activities Falls Under Regulatory Authority.

Posted on July 6, 2017 by richardzorza

This is sort of fun. We have been struggling now for over two decades to find the most useful and access-expanding ways of explaining when an interaction is the giving of information, not generally subject of regulation as the practice … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Artificial Intelligence, Child Support, Document Assembly, Family Law, Legal Ethics, Non-Lawyer Practice, Plain Language, Public Education, Remote Services, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Technology, Triage | 1 Comment

New HHS Rules Effective Jan 19, 2017 Include Very Good News About the Scope of Federal Reimbursement for Paternity and Child Support Establishment Expenditures For Self Help and Educational Services

Posted on December 20, 2016 by richardzorza

As I hope most of you know, two thirds of eligible state costs incurred for the establishment and enforcement of child support obligations are reimbursable by HHS.  There is no cap on the total amount, but expenditures must be pursuant … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Court Management, Funding, Self-Help Services, SRLN, Technology | 1 Comment

How State-Wide Groups Might Help Deal With The “Ferguson Chasm”

Posted on May 29, 2015 by richardzorza

Here are some suggestions for how ATJ Commissions and other statewide groups (or those just advocating) might move forward on addressing the “Ferguson Chasm” — the gap between communities and the entire legal system, epitomized by Ferguson using the court … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Chasm with Communities, Child Support, Court Fees and Costs, Policing, Self-Help Services, Simplification | Comments Off on How State-Wide Groups Might Help Deal With The “Ferguson Chasm”

The Broader Lessons of Ferguson and Baltimore Are Much More Challenging — Opportunities to Be Part of the Solution

Posted on May 25, 2015 by richardzorza

Some of us have begun calling it the Chasm — it’s the chasm between the legal system and the poor.  When the cops yell “stop”, young men do not make subtle legal distinctions between the civil and criminal justice systems.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankruptcy, Child Support, Court Fees and Costs, Court Management, Dept. of Justice, expungement | 2 Comments

Child Support Proposals in the President’s Budget Would Support Research Into Innovative Approaches

Posted on February 6, 2015 by richardzorza

Mark Greenberg, Acting Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families has this to say in summarizing the budget proposals on child support: For the Child Support Program, we are renewing a number of prior proposals for efforts to ensure that … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Funding, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

Analysis of Proposed Regs on HHS IV-D Child Support Money — Comments Due Jan 16 — Opportunity to Help Finance Self-Help Infrastructure

Posted on January 7, 2015 by richardzorza

I have long been urging states to take advantage of the IV-D program, which through uncapped matching, triples state investment in child support activities, to help finance self-help services.  Several states such as California do so, and California has used … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Child Support, Court Management, Funding, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Analysis of Proposed Regs on HHS IV-D Child Support Money — Comments Due Jan 16 — Opportunity to Help Finance Self-Help Infrastructure

Webinar on IV-D Funding for Self-Help Services — How to TRIPLE Your Money

Posted on December 11, 2014 by richardzorza

Awareness is slowly growing that Federal IV-D  funding has the potential to triple state investments in child support and related activities.  Obviously this funding stream, which is not capped, has the potential to help states build out a very significant … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Funding, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Webinar on IV-D Funding for Self-Help Services — How to TRIPLE Your Money

Thoughts on a Discouraging Post-Turner Decision from the GA Court of Appeals

Posted on April 1, 2013 by richardzorza

The Georgia Court of Appeals (intermediate appellate court), in a complex, but none-the-less discouraging and hard to understand (in both senses of the phrase) decision has de-certified the class in a case designed to answer a question left open in … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Child Support | Comments Off on Thoughts on a Discouraging Post-Turner Decision from the GA Court of Appeals

Turner Lives

Posted on January 3, 2013 by richardzorza

An Ohio intermediate appellate court of appeals case, Crain v. Crain, 2012-Ohio-6180http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/2/2012/2012-ohio-6180.pdf correctly reads Turner v. Rogers, and reverses a contempt judgement in which counsel was denied. The defendant had been found in civil contempt for failure to make child … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Child Support, Supreme Court, Triage | Comments Off on Turner Lives

Post Election Implications for Access to Justice — Part I: Broad Themes

Posted on November 8, 2012 by richardzorza

This very much not an electoral politics blog.  But Tuesday had such strong implications for the access to justice discussion that I think it may be useful to start to think through some of the second level themes and implications … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Child Support, Court Management, Domestic Violence, LEP | 1 Comment

Video of Turner v. Rogers Anniversary Symposium Now Online

Posted on August 2, 2012 by richardzorza

The video of the June 20 OSCE/DOJ Turner Symposium is now online.  Here is part of the description from the invite:  [S]peakers include George Sheldon, Acting Assistant Secretary Administration for Children and Families; Vicki Turetsky, OCSE Commissioner; Daniel Olmos, Department … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Meetings, Supreme Court | Comments Off on Video of Turner v. Rogers Anniversary Symposium Now Online

Office of Child Support Enforcement Highlights ATJ Innovations

Posted on June 25, 2012 by richardzorza

This is big.  At the DOJ/HHS Turner anniversary Symposium last week, The Office of Child Support Enforcement unveiled four Fact Sheets, an Information Memorandum, and an Action Transmittal. One Fact Sheet, is titled Access to Justice Innovations (yes, you read … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Funding, Self-Help Services | 3 Comments