The Few, the Proud, the Undervalued
Oklahoma’s Child Support Attorneys
By Tery DeShong

Having worked as a state child support attorney for the past nine years, I can attest to the “undervalued” portion of this title. For all the blood, sweat and tears state attorneys put into obtaining and collecting child support, there are few people that we make truly happy. Custodial parents want their support faster, and more money would be nice too! Non- custodial parents hate the fact that their paychecks must be garnished, that the state garnishes bank accounts and intercepts income tax refunds. Attorneys for non-custodial parents are not happy with the powers afforded the DHS Child Support Enforcement Division by the Legislature.

Given that the vast majority of those we serve are so darn unhappy all the time, why in the world do we continue to work as child support attorneys? The money? The glory? The day-to-day “fun, fun, fun” environment? Not so much. We do what we do for the children.

There are 43 child support offices in Oklahoma, where approximately 60 attorneys handle in excess of 175,000 cases. Collections statewide range from $15 to $23 million dollars each month, and for this past year, collections were in excess of $186,544,000. While some of the money is retained by the state to reimburse state expenditures, the vast majority of the money goes directly into the homes of the child or children and custodial parent.

Given the volume of cases and amount of collections, you would think we would make more people happy. Oh, there is the occasional thank you note or letter (I last received a “thank you” note two years ago) from a happy custodial parent who is now getting monthly support, but those are the exception and not the rule.

It is difficult at times, not to become depressed and overwhelmed at the job that lies ever before us. We always have new cases coming in faster than we can obtain collections. We are never actually completed with our work, or finished at the end of any day. It is frustrating, time-consuming work that continues to be an on-going, daily struggle to keep our heads above water. And yet more than 60 attorneys “fight the good fight” each day in courtrooms, both district and administrative, across the state. We fight to put more revenue into the households of the children growing up with one or more parents absent from the home. We struggle to ensure that those the court has ordered to pay child support are made to comply with that order. We strive to do the best we can, collect as much as we can and not forget these are people’s lives we are dealing with, not just another case file.

Many days we not only have to deal with frustrated and unhappy customers, but we also must face the slings and arrows of the private bar. When you find yourself angry with a child support attorney, I would ask that you try and remember the following: what we do is analogous to an emergency room where everyone needs help and is clamoring for personal attention RIGHT NOW. We must triage our cases to help thousands as best we can; do our utmost to obtain support for that family and then move on to the next person who desperately needs our help.

Child support attorneys do a thankless job. We do it well, continually and with professionalism. We are not the enemy, or the “evil empire;” we are highly trained attorneys who work tirelessly for children. We are your equals, we are your colleagues and we are doing the best we can given our limited resources. Child Support: It’s not just a job; it’s not just an adventure…. It’s our calling.

Ms. DeShong is the managing attorney for the Tahlequah Child Support Enforcement Office.