Depository Requirements for Documents Filed

The Depository needs a copy of all court orders that require payments to be made through the State of Florida Disbursement Unit, including contempt orders and modifications. This includes the Final Judgment and/or order for payment of support or alimony (original or modified), the Income Deduction Order, Income Withholding Order and the Demographic Information Form.

A Demographic Information Form must be filed with each order and copy to the Depository. The forms must be complete with all information needed by the Depository to properly maintain the accurate records under Florida Statute 61.181. This includes:

The obligor's name, address, full social security number, date of birth, gender, phone number(s), place of employment, and any other sources of income, driver's license state and number, height, weight, and race;
The obligee's name, address, and full social security number, phone number(s), gender, and date of birth;

The Demographic Information Form also must include the child(ren)'s full name, date of birth, and full social security number; A signature, and signature date.

The Clerk's fees are 4% of the total payment amount with a $5.25 maximum and a $1.00 minimum for all non-IVD cases. When the order does not address the fees, they are subtracted from the payment amount and the obligee is then paying the fee. If the obligor is ordered to pay the fee and does not, the payment amount will be shorted by the amount of the fee thereby creating an arrearage. It is important that the fees be calculated correctly. When in doubt, please call the Depository.

The Florida statute governing the State Disbursement Unit (SDU) clerk's fee is Florida Statute 61.181, which dictates a fee calculated as 4% of each support payment, capped at a maximum of $5.25 per payment. This fee is collected on each payment made through the SDU. (Except that the fee is waived for any IV-D/Child Support Program contracted cases)

Please note: The fee is in addition to all payment(s) being made. After you have your court ordered amount by frequency calculated, then add the entire fee for that amount on top of the calculated payment. The SDU charges a fee for processing on each payment being made, per Florida Statute 61.181. Not simply a monthly or weekly fee if the order states a monthly or weekly frequency.

The Depository does not initiate income deduction orders (IDOs) or income withholding orders (IWO). It is the responsibility of the attorney or the client to send the IDO and IWO to the employer along with a copy of the Notice to Payor (the original is to be filed in the Clerk's Office, Civil Division). A new Notice to Payor is to be filed each time the obligor changes employment if the new employee requires you to do so.

Income deduction orders (IDOs) and Income withholding order (IWOs) must match the order of support. For example, if the order of support is monthly and the IDO is weekly, the calculations must be the same. Sample formulas follow.

The child support system accepts payments in the following frequencies: weekly, biweekly (every two weeks), monthly and semimonthly (twice monthly).

Sample Formulas:

Monthly payment amount (not including Clerk's fees) x 12 months ÷ 52 weeks = weekly amount
Monthly payment amount x 12 months ÷ 26 = biweekly (every two weeks) amount
Weekly payment amount x 52 weeks ÷ 12 = monthly amount
Weekly payment amount x 52 weeks ÷ 24 = semimonthly (twice monthly) amount
The fee is then calculated on the new payment amount.

Final Judgments and Court Orders:

When preparing a Final Judgment, be specific on all details especially when incorporating a settlement agreement. Examples follow: The Depository cannot accept payments until the order is signed; therefore we are not able to comply with the start date in the settlement agreement unless that same date is specified in the signed order. Once the Depository receives a copy of the signed order, we open a case. The system then assesses payment obligation beginning the Friday following the signing of the Final Judgment unless the Judgment specifies otherwise. Thus, until the order is signed other payment arrangements (such as paying directly) must be made.

It is important for Judgments and/or Orders to incude the date payments are to being and for arrears established to include the "as of" date. 

If there are arrears from a temporary order, the Final Judgment must reflect the amount of these arrears or reserve on them. Otherwise, the Depository clears the account and starts fresh with the Final Judgment (or Final Order).
If the settlement agreement terminates specific payments, such as alimony, the termination date needs to appear in the Final Judgment.

A court order issued by Manatee County should not order payments to be made through any other county's depository. There is no reciprocity from one county depository to another; therefore, depositories can only accept payments for cases within their own county.
The more specific the orders, the more accurate the Depository records will be.

Telephones:

Information is available through the State of Florida Disbursement Unit’s Payment Information Phone System 24 hours a day. The system is accessed by calling toll-free 1-877-769-0251. They will need their social security number and court case number and will be guided through a series of menu choices to obtain the payment information.

Miscellaneous:

The Depository does not enforce child support or alimony orders. Enforcement for child support is done through signing a contract with Child Support Program.
All payments are disbursed to private clients the next business day by electronic means after they're received. For public assistance clients and contracted IV-D cases, payments are disbursed to the Department of Revenue for appropriate distribution.

Enforcement for Alimony order are not done by the Depository or Child Support Program. You must enforce on your own through the court (family department) as pro-se party, or have an attorney enforce the order for you.