Child Support in West Virginia

Where to start

Start with one clear goal. If you do not have an order yet, your goal is to open a case and get an order. If you already have an order but payments stopped, your goal is enforcement. If income, child care, medical insurance, parenting time, or the child’s living situation changed, your goal may be review or modification.

For a broader assistance map, see West Virginia help. For general support steps across states, use ASMOM’s child support basics before you call.

Quick reference table

How West Virginia child support is calculated

West Virginia uses an Income Shares Support Formula. In plain words, the formula looks at both parents’ incomes and the child-related costs that belong in the worksheet. The court or support process then decides the final order.

BCSE says support can depend on the number of children, the time the children spend with each parent, the gross income of both parents, the costs of raising the children, other children of both parents, and other circumstances. BCSE may send both parents a financial form. Return it as soon as you can, because BCSE can use other information if the form is not returned.

How to apply for child support

BCSE says child support services can include locating parents, establishing paternity, establishing child support and medical support, collecting payments, enforcing a court order, and reviewing or modifying an order. You can ask for help even if the other parent lives outside West Virginia.

1. Gather basic facts. Write down each parent’s full name, date of birth, address, phone number, employer, Social Security number if known, and past addresses.
2. Gather child information. Keep the child’s birth certificate, Social Security number if available, health insurance details, and any custody or support order.
3. Apply online or on paper. The online process goes through WV PATH. If online filing does not work for you, print the paper form or contact a local BCSE office.
4. Watch your email and mail. BCSE says online applicants are notified by email after the application is processed. Missing a request for proof can delay the case.
5. Keep BCSE updated. Report address, phone, employer, child care, insurance, and safety changes in writing when possible.

Need help with the online form? The WV PATH help line is 1-844-451-3515. If you cannot use the portal, bring a signed paper application to a BCSE office. BCSE may ask for proof after your application. Keep the case number and any email notices.

Using WV WORKS (TANF)? Families receiving this cash benefit are usually referred to BCSE, and support payments may be used to repay some cash aid. Child support service participation is voluntary for people who receive only SNAP or Medicaid. If contacting the other parent could be dangerous, ask the benefits worker about good cause not to cooperate before sharing unsafe details. See BCSE’s public assistance and safety rules.

If you need an interpreter, tell BCSE. The agency says it offers language assistance.

If you also need help with living costs, ask about WV WORKS cash aid, Medicaid health care, and WIC benefits while your support case moves.

Paternity and parentage

BCSE’s paternity FAQ explains how unmarried parents may sign a Declaration of Paternity Affidavit to establish legal fatherhood. If the parents disagree or are unsure, genetic testing and a court hearing may be needed. Ask about rights and duties before signing an affidavit; it has legal effects.

If either parent disagrees, genetic testing or a court process may be needed. Do not sign parentage papers unless you understand what they mean. If you are unsure, feel pressured, or have safety concerns, ask for legal advice first.

Documents and information checklist

Keep copies of documents and messages in one safe place. Label each item with its date. If your device is monitored, ask a legal advocate how to store records safely. Use a simple documents checklist and bring what you have; you can ask BCSE what is still missing.

• Your photo ID and contact information.
• Your child’s birth certificate and Social Security number if available.
• Names, addresses, birth dates, phone numbers, and employers for both parents.
• Pay stubs, tax returns, unemployment records, benefit letters, or self-employment records.
• Child care bills needed for work, training, or school.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance costs for the child.
• Existing court orders for custody, support, divorce, protection, or parenting time.
• Payment records, missed-payment notes, and direct-payment proof.
• School enrollment proof if your child is over 18 and still covered by support.

How payments are handled

BCSE processes payments received by mail, in county offices, in court, and electronically. BCSE’s payment process page explains how payments are credited and what to do if a credited payment has not reached you.

Direct payments need proof. BCSE says money or goods given without a court order may be treated as gifts. When there is an order and an active case, BCSE can give credit for a direct payment if both parents verify it. Send payments through BCSE when possible, save proof, and ask how to report past direct payments. This rule is explained on its official payment process page.

If you pay support: BCSE’s SMART payment guide lists no fee for a bank draft, a 2.5% service fee for cards and digital wallets, and a $2 fee for cash at a participating retailer. The automated phone payment line is 1-855-303-0094, with a 2.5% card fee. Do not send cash through the mail.

If a tax refund is taken: BCSE says some intercepted payments must be held for 180 days before release because another claim may be filed. Ask BCSE which rule applies to your payment rather than assuming the money is lost.

Parents who pay support can review options on the make payment page. Questions can go to BCSE customer service at 1-800-249-3778 or 304-558-4665 during normal working hours. BCSE lists Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., except closures and holidays.

What to do when support is unpaid

Do not wait months in silence if payments stop. Contact your local BCSE office, ask what enforcement steps are available, and give any new information you have about the paying parent’s employer, address, vehicle, bank, license, or tax refund.

Child support agencies can use income withholding, tax refund offset, license actions, credit reporting, liens, and other state or federal tools when the law allows. The federal child support office gives a broad federal enforcement overview, but your local BCSE office controls your West Virginia case steps.

BCSE’s child support FAQ says West Virginia charges 5% simple interest on overdue support. Ask for a current case ledger so you know the unpaid amount and any interest.

Passport warning: The U.S. State Department may deny a passport when qualifying past-due child support is more than $2,500. Existing passports can also be revoked. Revocations were expanded in phases during 2026, reaching certified debt over $15,000 in the October 5 phase. A future phase could reach smaller debts. Ask BCSE how the rules apply to your case and check the current federal notice. Do not promise travel will be restored right after a payment.

Changing, reviewing, or ending an order

An order does not change just because someone loses a job, has another child, pays rent, or agrees by text to a lower amount. Tell BCSE about the change, but also ask how to get a new court order. Under West Virginia law, the old amount can keep building up until the court process is used.

Either parent can ask BCSE to review an order three years after the order became effective. A review may also be requested sooner if there is a substantial change in circumstances. The review may increase, decrease, or leave the order the same, and medical insurance may be added. Start with the BCSE modification page if the order needs review.

The state modification law treats a guideline result more than 15% different from the current order as a substantial change. This is not a promise that your support will change. You may need to file a motion, supply proof, and attend a hearing. You can find family court modification forms on the court’s official site.

West Virginia orders also call for parents to report a gross-income change of 15% or more to BCSE and the other party, subject to the wording of their order. Read your order and check with a lawyer about safe notice when there is abuse. See the state support-order law.

West Virginia state law says support can continue past age 18 when the child is unmarried, living with a parent, guardian, or custodian, enrolled full time in a secondary educational or vocational program, and making progress toward a diploma. That rule says payments may not extend past age 20. Disabled adult-child support can be different, so ask a lawyer or the court about your case.

If the case involves another state or a court notice

BCSE can help with orders or parents in another state. Tell the worker where the last order was made and whether another state already has a case. Do not open several cases or pay two agencies without asking which order controls.

BCSE workers help enforce support, but they are not your own attorney. If you get a hearing notice, a contested parentage claim, a change request, or a deadline, read it right away. Write down the deadline, gather your court papers, and ask Legal Aid of West Virginia or the court clerk about next steps. Do not wait for BCSE to handle a court filing for you.

When BCSE is slow or says no: Ask for a written account of what is missing, who is handling the case, and the next action. Keep letters, email copies, dates, and names. Check each official notice for any hearing or response deadline. A support order remains in force unless it is changed through the legal process.