Rule 301.Petition requirements

Ch. XV: Support Proceedings · Last amended 2013 · Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified September 9, 2026

In one sentenceRule 301 requires a support or paternity petitioner to supply social security numbers for both parties and for the children, with a good faith effort where one is unknown.

Full Text of Rule 301

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b)

(a) Every petitioner in a child support or a paternity determination action shall provide the social security number of the petitioner and the respondent to be maintained in the case file. If the respondent's social security number is unknown to the petitioner and the petitioner is unable to obtain the respondent's social security number prior to filing the petition, the petitioner must so indicate to the Court. Further, the petitioner must make a good faith effort to obtain the social security number of the respondent prior to the hearing, and, if unsuccessful, be prepared to describe to the Court reason for the unavailability of the respondent's social security number.

(b) Every petitioner to a child support petition shall provide the social security number of the child(ren) at issue. If the child(ren) have not yet been assigned a social security number, the petitioner must apply for social security numbers for the children and make a good faith effort to have the child(ren)'s social security number(s) available prior to the entry of the Court's order.

End

Amendment History

Delaware prints each rule’s amendment history as a single “Credits” line naming every order that adopted or amended it. It is reproduced verbatim below.

[Amended December 31, 1999, effective 30 days after notice to Bar; November 8, 2013.]

Plain-English Summary

The parties. Every petitioner in a child support or paternity determination action provides their own and the respondent's social security number, to be kept in the case file. If the respondent's number is unknown and cannot be obtained before filing, the petitioner tells the court, must make a good faith effort to get it before the hearing, and must be ready to explain why it is unavailable.

The children. Every petitioner on a child support petition provides the children's social security numbers. Where a child has not yet been assigned one, the petitioner must apply for it and make a good faith effort to have it available before the court's order is entered.

The numbers are not bureaucratic ornament. Support is collected through wage attachment, tax intercepts and interstate enforcement, and every one of those systems identifies a person by that number. An order without it may be correct and still uncollectable.

Note that a missing number never bars the petition. The obligation is to try, to keep trying, and to be able to say what was tried — which is the same structure Rule 101 uses for divorce.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to file a child support petition in Delaware?

Among other things, the social security numbers of the petitioner and respondent, and of the children at issue, to be maintained in the case file.

What if I do not know the other parent's social security number?

The petitioner must so indicate to the court, make a good faith effort to obtain it before the hearing, and be prepared to describe the reason for its unavailability.

What if my child does not have a social security number yet?

The petitioner must apply for one and make a good faith effort to have it available prior to the entry of the court's order.

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Delaware Family Court Rules of Civil Procedure (Fam. Ct. Civ. R. 301), and every rule has been checked word for word against the Delaware Family Court’s own published edition of these rules. Current through June 1, 2026. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 9, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: child support petition requirements Delawaresocial security number child support DelawareFam. Ct. Civ. R. 301