What Happens When Parents Live in Different States
Parents move for many reasons, including work, military duty, family needs, or new opportunities. These moves do not end child support. Washington can enforce or modify child support even when one or both parents live in different states. The most confusing part for parents is understanding which state makes the decisions, where to file paperwork, and whether they need to travel to another state. In most cases, they do not.
Washington follows a national set of rules that all states use when handling child support across state lines. These rules determine which state keeps the case, which state can enforce it, and whether a parent must register the order somewhere else. DCS also works with its counterpart agencies in every state to garnish wages, intercept tax refunds, and collect unpaid support.
An attorney helps parents avoid filing in the wrong place, missing enforcement options, or misunderstanding how support works when parents relocate. This page explains, in plain language, how out-of-state child support really works, what happens when parents or children move, and how long-distance travel fits into child support calculations.
➡ For more general information visit our page Child Support In Washington State