The right service depends on what needs to happen next: make a parenting plan, obtain a court decision, collect child support or protect a child. This guide helps you distinguish those roles and prepare for a first contact.
United States · Checked 17 September 2026
A state court’s self-help centre or family-law information service can explain forms, filing, service and court procedures. It may also point to local legal-aid or referral services.
Its staff do not necessarily represent you or decide which outcome would be best for your case. A lawyer who represents one parent has a different role.
It helps to have the state, court name, case number and existing orders ready. If papers have arrived, the title and response date matter more than a general description such as “a custody letter”.
A mediator helps parents discuss care and decision-making arrangements. Mediation is not a guarantee of agreement, and it may be unsuitable without safeguards where there is violence or intimidation.
California has both mediation and child custody recommending counselling. In the latter, the professional can make recommendations to the judge. Its court guidance explains why you need to know which service is being used.
Questions for the service include what it covers, whether it reports to the court, whether there is a fee and what safe participation arrangements are available.
A state or tribal child support agency can help establish legal parenthood, obtain or change support orders and collect eligible payments. USAGov directs parents to their agency even when the other parent lives elsewhere.
It does not provide a general substitute payment for missing support, and it does not decide every custody or divorce issue. In California, the agency’s lawyer represents the agency rather than either parent personally.
A useful first description is “there is no order”, “the order needs reviewing” or “payments under this order are missing”. Each points to a different task.
Child protective services or the relevant tribal authority deals with concerns about abuse or neglect. The Child Welfare Information Gateway provides reporting information. Immediate danger needs emergency help.
Childhelp offers information and support about child abuse and reporting. Speaking to a support service is not necessarily the same as making a formal report to the authority that investigates.
For worry about separation, a school counsellor, healthcare professional or other suitable local service may be a starting point. Describe what has changed in the child’s daily life and what kind of support is being sought.
A court assessment, therapy and a child-protection investigation serve different purposes. It is reasonable to ask who the service works for, what will be recorded and whether information is shared.
“I need help with [the problem]. There is/is not an existing order. The next date on my paperwork is [date]. Is this the service that handles that, and what information do you need?”
If the service cannot help, a specific referral is more useful than starting the same story again without knowing where to go.
This guide explains general rules and services. It does not assess your individual case.
Information checked on 17 September 2026.
Based on the original article by Elisabeth Scholander.
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