Rule 5:7-4.Orders Establishing Alimony and Child Support Obligations

Last amended September 1, 2025 · Current through September 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026

In one sentenceRule 5:7-4 governs how alimony and child support orders are written and administered — separating the two amounts, routing enforcement through Probation in the county of venue, fixing arrears at the hearing, and sending payments to the Family Support Payment Center.

Full Text of Rule 5:7-4

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

(a) Allocation of Support. In awarding alimony, maintenance or child support, the court shall separate the amounts awarded for alimony or maintenance and the amounts awarded for child support, unless for good cause shown the court determines that the amounts should be unallocated. In awarding child support, payments for health care, child care and other expenses necessary to maintain the child or children shall be designated as part of the child support award unless good cause is shown why such amounts should be separated.

(b) Cases Enforced by the Probation Division. Enforcement of child support orders shall presumptively be in the county in which the child support order is first established (county of venue), unless the court orders the case transferred for cause. In cases where venue of a support case is transferred, Probation supervision of the case shall concurrently be transferred to the county of venue, unless the court otherwise orders for cause. The responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the judgment or order, including the transfer of responsibility, shall be governed by the policies established by the Administrative Director of the Courts. Alimony, maintenance, or child support payments not presently administered by the Probation Division shall be so made on application of either party to the court unless the other party, on application to the court, shows good cause to the contrary. In non-dissolution support proceedings, the court shall record its decision using the Uniform Order for Summary Support promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts. On the signing of any order that includes alimony, maintenance, child support, or medical support provisions to be administered by the Probation Division, the court shall, immediately after the hearing, send to the appropriate judicial staff one copy of the order which shall include a Confidential Litigant Information Sheet in the form prescribed by the Administrative Director of the Courts prepared by the parties or their attorneys providing the names, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers, and mailing addresses of the parents; the occupation and driver's license number of the parent who is ordered to pay support; the policy number and name of the health insurance provider of the parent who is ordered to insure the children; and, if income withholding is ordered, the name and address of the obligor's employer. When a party or attorney must prepare a formal written judgment or order pursuant to a judicial decision that includes alimony, maintenance or child support or medical support provisions to be administered by the Probation Division, the court shall, on the date of the hearing, record the support and health insurance provisions on a Temporary Support Order using the form prescribed by the Administrative Director of the Courts and shall immediately have such order and a Confidential Litigant Information Sheet in the form prescribed by the Administrative Director of the Courts (if it has not yet been provided by the parties or counsel) delivered to the appropriate judicial staff so that a support account can be established on the New Jersey automated child support system. A probation account shall be established on the automated child support system within eight business days of the date the court order was signed. Demographic information provided on the Confidential Litigant Information Sheet shall be required to establish a probation account and send case initiation documents to the parties and the obligor's employer. The Temporary Support Order shall remain in effect until a copy of the final judgment or order is received by the Probation Division. Judgments or orders amending the amounts to be paid through the Probation Division shall be treated in the same manner.

(c) Establishment of Support Arrears at the Hearing. At an establishment hearing in any new dissolution, non-dissolution, or domestic violence case, when the payment of support is ordered, the judge, child support hearing officer, attorneys, or court staff, as appropriate, shall calculate the child support obligation, payment on arrears, and total arrears owed so that these amounts will be known to the parties before they leave court. When establishing arrears, findings shall be made on (1) any direct payments made by the obligor to the obligee between the effective date of the order and the date of the hearing, on a showing of credible proof, and (2) the amount and frequency of regular payments to be made toward the arrears. The forms and procedures to implement the provisions of this rule shall be prescribed by the Administrative Director of the Courts.

(d) Payments to the New Jersey Family Support Payment Center. All orders which include payment of child support, or spousal support in conjunction with child support on the same order, shall be entered onto the statewide automated child support enforcement system, and presumptively deemed payable to the New Jersey Family Support Payment Center, and supervised by the Probation Division, unless the court orders otherwise, for good cause shown.

(e) Income Withholding. All complaints, notices, pleadings, orders and judgments which include child support filed or entered on or after October 1, 1990 shall comply with the income withholding provisions of R. 5:7-4A.

(f) Electronic Signatures on Child Support Orders.

(1) An electronic signature is one gathered through the use of a computer input device. An electronic signature is an acceptable alternative to a signature collected through an ink pen on paper, and constitutes an original signature.

(2) The automated child support system provides a mechanism for collecting electronic signatures of the parties, child support hearing officer, and judge of the Superior Court on a computerized or digital version of the Uniform Summary Support Order (“USSO”).

(3) When an electronic signature of a party or other non-judiciary personnel is collected through the automated child support system, the signing individual must be given notice at the time the signature is collected, preferably in writing, of the significance of the requested signature.

End

Amendment History

New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “Note” beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; a “Source” line names the former rule the current one grew out of, and “R. (1969)” citations refer to the earlier numbering it replaced.

Note: Source--R. (1969) 4:79-9(a). Adopted December 20, 1983, to be effective December 31, 1983; amended November 2, 1987 to be effective January 1, 1988; amended January 5, 1988 to be effective February 1, 1988; amended June 29, 1990 to be effective September 4, 1990; caption and text amended October 5, 1993 to be effective October 13, 1993; caption amended, text amended and redesignated as paragraphs (a), (b), and (d), captions of paragraph (a) through (e) and text of paragraphs (c) and (e) adopted July 13, 1994 to be effective September 1, 1994; paragraph (d) amended March 15, 1996 to be effective immediately; paragraph (b) amended June 28, 1996 to be effective immediately; caption of paragraph (d) and text of paragraphs (d) and (e) amended May 25, 1999 to be effective July 1, 1999; paragraph (b) amended July 5, 2000 to be effective September 5, 2000; paragraph (b) amended July 12, 2002 to be effective September 3, 2002; paragraph (b) caption and text amended, new paragraph (c) adopted, former paragraph (c) redesignated as paragraph (d), former paragraph (d) amended (including incorporation of some text of former paragraph (e)) and redesignated as paragraph (e), and former paragraph (e) deleted July 28, 2004 to be effective September 1, 2004; new paragraph (c) adopted, and former paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) redesignated as paragraphs (d), (e), and (f) July 27, 2006 to be effective September 1, 2006; paragraph (f) amended June 15, 2007 to be effective September 1,

2007; paragraph (b) amended and new paragraph (g) adopted July 21, 2011 to be effective September 1, 2011; caption amended, paragraph (b) caption amended, paragraphs (d) and (e) amended, paragraph (f) deleted and redesignated as R. 5:7-4A(d), and former paragraph (g) redesignated as paragraph (f) July 27, 2015 to be effective September 1, 2015; paragraph (b) amended July 31, 2025 to be effective September 1, 2025.

Plain-English Summary

Start with allocation. When the court awards alimony, maintenance or child support, it must separate the amounts, unless for good cause it finds they should be unallocated. Payments for health care, child care and other expenses necessary to maintain the children are designated part of the child support award unless there is good cause to separate them.

Most of the rule is about administration. Enforcement presumptively stays in the county where the support order was first established, and Probation supervision follows venue if the case is transferred. Signing an order with support provisions triggers immediate paperwork: a copy to judicial staff with a Confidential Litigant Information Sheet carrying names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, the obligor's occupation and driver's license number, insurance details, and the employer's name and address if income withholding is ordered. Where a formal written order has yet to be drafted, the court records the terms on a Temporary Support Order the same day so an account can be opened, and that account must be established within eight business days of the order being signed.

Two provisions protect the litigant directly. Arrears are calculated at the establishment hearing — the obligation, the payment on arrears and the total owed — so the parties know the numbers before they leave the courtroom, with findings on any credible direct payments the obligor made in the interim. And orders including child support are presumptively payable to the New Jersey Family Support Payment Center and supervised by Probation unless the court orders otherwise for good cause. Paragraph (f) recognises electronic signatures gathered through the automated child support system as originals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Must alimony and child support be listed separately?

Yes, unless for good cause shown the court determines the amounts should be unallocated.

How quickly is a probation support account set up?

Within eight business days of the date the court order was signed. Where a formal order is still to be drafted, the court records the terms on a Temporary Support Order on the day of the hearing so the account can be opened.

Will I know my arrears before I leave court?

That is the intent. At an establishment hearing the child support obligation, the payment on arrears and the total arrears owed are calculated so the amounts are known to the parties before they leave court.

Where are support payments sent?

Orders that include child support are presumptively deemed payable to the New Jersey Family Support Payment Center and supervised by the Probation Division, unless the court orders otherwise for good cause shown.

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the official New Jersey Rules of Court, Part V (N.J. Ct. R. 5:7-4). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 8, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: alimony orderchild support orderunallocated supportprobation accountfamily support payment centerconfidential litigant information sheet