Lubbock County, Texas

Child Support Court - Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I know when to appear for court?

• What if I can’t come to court on the date my case is set?

• What should I expect in Title IV-D Child Support Court in these counties?

• Where should I park?

• Where do I go after I arrive at the courthouse?

• How long will court take?

• What should I wear?

• May I bring children?

• What should I bring to court?

• What if I need an interpreter?

• May I appear by phone?

• Do I need a lawyer?

• How can I close my case?

• How do I contact the Office of Attorney General?

• When should I contact the Office of Attorney General?

• How can I make a payment?

• May I talk to the Judge about my case?

• How will I know to come to court if the weather is bad?

How do I know when to appear for court?

You should receive a letter from the Office of the Attorney General or Domestic Relations Office with the court date or served with a show cause order that has the date.

What if I can’t come to court on the date my case is set?

Parties can request a continuance by filing a written request with the respective District Clerk for which the case is filed.

A copy of the continuance needs to be served by mail, fax or email on the Office of the Attorney General at the address listed below:

Lubbock County cases:

Hale, Hockley, Terry, & Yoakum County cases:

Continuances should contain the cause number for the case, reason for the request, and contact information so that the court or the Attorney General can contact you.  DO NOT assume a continuance has been granted until you receive confirmation from the court regarding your request.  FAILURE TO APPEAR MAY RESULT IN THE ISSUANCE OF A DEFAULT ORDER OR A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST.

What should I expect in Title IV-D Child Support Court in these counties?

IV-D Child Support Court is presided over by the Honorable Judge Meg Jordan. Lubbock County cases are held at the Lubbock County Courthouse, 904 Broadway, Suite 430, Lubbock, Texas. The Court travels to individual counties for hearings held in the respective courthouses of Hale County, Hockley County, Terry County, and Yoakum County.

Every party has the right to request a hearing in front of the Judge.

Where should I park?

For Lubbock County cases, there are three options (Parking Map):

• Paid Parking ($1/hour) is available at 916 Main Street.
• For free two hour parking, please park at Lot B, located at the southeast corner of 10th Street and Buddy Holly.
• For all day free parking, please park at Lot L, located at the northeast corner of 10th Street and Avenue G.

Where do I go after I arrive at the courthouse?

When you arrive, proceed to the courtroom (Suite 430) and have a seat. If you and the other parent do not get along, do not sit near or antagonize them. Judge Jordan will hold a docket call for the 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. settings. Parties are usually given sufficient time to negotiate with the Office of Attorney General.

How long will court take?

The short answer is: it depends. It is impossible for anyone to accurately predict how long your case will take. Several factors are at play including the type of case it is, whether a formal hearing is needed, whether all parties and all attorneys are present, how many people are in line in front of you, etc.  If your case is scheduled for IV-D (child support) court, you may be at court for one hour or you may be there for four hours or possibly longer. It is unpredictable, so try to not have any important engagements on the same day as your IV-D (child support) hearing.

What should I wear?

Remember you are coming to Court. Please dress appropriately! Do not wear shorts, tank tops, or other revealing clothing.  If you are not dressed properly, you will be asked to change prior to entering the courtroom. 

May I bring children?

DO NOT BRING CHILDREN TO COURT. There are no activities or play areas for children.  You will be bored if you have to wait and so will they.  Bringing a child will not get your case heard first and only the child suffers.  The only exception to this rule is that children are sometimes needed for DNA or parentage testing, which may be conducted at court.  If you believe your child might be needed for DNA testing, please contact the Attorney General’s office to ask if you should bring your child to court.

What should I bring to court?

Income documentation, health insurance information and any other information that is important to your case.

What if I need an interpreter?

Please contact the Court Coordinator.

May I appear by phone?

Appearing by Phone: Judge Jordan does not allow persons to appear by phone unless a party is active-duty military personnel or incarcerated persons who have requested in writing to participate in hearings.

Do I need a lawyer?

The parties may hire lawyers to represent them or may speak for themselves without a lawyer. If you need additional time to hire an attorney, please inform Judge Jordan at docket call or the Attorney General staff prior to or after docket call. The Office of the Attorney General and/or Domestic Relations Office does not represent either party, and therefore you must decide how you need to proceed to protect your interests and the interests of your child. If you are not happy with what has happened during your negotiation conference, then ask for a hearing.  You have the right to have the judge hear your case.

How can I close my case?

You need to contact the Office of Attorney General that handles your case to see if it can be closed. The Court cannot close your case.

How do I contact the Office of Attorney General?

• Address: 6302 Iola Ave, Suite 400, Lubbock, TX 79424-9803
• Phone: (800) 252-8014 or (806) 767-0521
• Fax: (806) 744-9734
• Email: customerservice.lubbock102@oag.texas.gov

When should I contact the Office of Attorney General?

• File for Child Support, modify or enforce child support;
• Update contact information such as addresses and phone numbers;
• Advise of new employment;
• Father and mother have reconciled and would like to close their case;
• Obtaining new copies of paperwork;
• To inquire if the other parent has been served with their paperwork;
• Request your case be transferred to County of residence of child; and
• CIN number and OAG number.

How can I make a payment?

Child support payments should be made to the following:

Child Support Disbursement Unit
P.O. Box 659791
San Antonio, Texas 78265-9791

**All Payments should include your 10 digit OAG number. **

All payment options can be found at texasattorneygeneral.gov

May I talk to the Judge about my case?

The only way to get information to the Judge is to request a formal hearing.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DIRECTLY CONTACT THE JUDGE BY MAIL, EMAIL, PHONE, OR IN PERSON ABOUT ANY PENDING OR POTENTIAL LAWSUIT! DOING SO MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.

How will I know to come to court if the weather is bad?

The IV-D Court in Lubbock County will close if the Lubbock ISD is closed due to inclement weather. For hearings in other counties, contact the District Clerk’s Office in the respective County.

Child Support Court - Helpful Links

• Texas Council on Family Violence getchildsupportsafely.org
• Legal Aid of North West Texas http://www.lanwt.org
• Legal Aid Society http://www.lubbocklegalaid.org
• Texas Workforce Commission http://www.twc.state.tx.us
• Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) http://www.dars.state.tx.us
• Texas Office of Attorney General—Child Support Division https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cs/welcome-to-the-child-support-division

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