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Tallahassee Florida - November 12, 2002 - Paying child support, whether it is done directly or through payroll deduction, has just become easier. Non-custodial parents and employers can now pay online with a credit card or electronic check.
The Florida Clerks of Court have teamed with the State Disbursement Unit (SDU) and Florida Department of Revenue to offer three new online Child Support Services through MyFloridaCounty.com, the official website for local government services and information.
The first service enables non-custodial parents to easily pay child support using a credit card.
The second service enables non-custodial parents and their employers to set up an account for re-occurring payments. Using a private password, customers can log into their account to make payments and also access a detailed payment history. The service offers both credit card and electronic check options.
The services are available for all Florida-based child support cases facilitated by the SDU. Each month, over 315,000 child support payments are submitted through the Unit via mail or in-person at one of a variety of locations throughout the state. After receiving the funds, the SDU transfers the money to the appropriate recipients.
The new online services are designed to benefit both parents and employers by providing a method to electronically transmit money to the SDU 24 hours a day. An added advantage is the ability to pay with a credit card. Previously, payments were only possible using a check, money order, or cash (if paying in person).
I am very pleased to offer online child support services to our citizens." said R.B. (Chips) Shore, Manatee County Clerk of Court and Florida Local Government Internet Consortium President. "The ability to pay with a credit card, anytime of the day or night, will be a tremendous benefit to everyone", he added.
"Our business customers performing payroll functions for employees with court-ordered wage garnishments will save a tremendous amount of time using the payment account service." Said Mukesh Patel, General Manager of MyFloridaCounty.com. "Our market research indicated that companies spend an average of 1 hour and 18 minutes preparing the necessary paperwork each time they process child support payments. Reducing that time is essential to succeed in today's competitive and fast-paced environment. We designed our online services with this in mind.
Now, it takes only moments to click a mouse and transmit funds on behalf of an entire workforce. Employee rosters, payment amounts, and other details can be easily and immediately updated." continued Patel.
The third service enables parents to type in their child support case and social security number to instantly obtain status details of the five most recent child support payments. Status information is updated each weeknight.
Child Support Services are just the latest in a long list of egovernment services planned for MyFloridaCounty.com." commented Shore. "Our goal is for this website to become the most convenient place for people to connect with local governments in the United States.
ABOUT MYFLORIDACOUNTY.COM
Launched in February 2002, MyFloridaCounty.com is the first fully integrated local government ecommerce website in the nation. The award-winning portal is produced by the Florida Local Government Internet Consortium, which includes the Florida Clerks of Court and Florida Tax Collectors, in partnership with the Florida Association of Court Clerks Services Group and the eGovernment firm, NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV) www.MyFloridaCounty.com
ABOUT NIC
NIC, "The eGovernment Company ™,"delivers more Web-enabled government solutions than any other provider in the world. The Company is helping to transform the relationships between government and the communities it serves by providing convenient online government services that make life easier for businesses and citizens. Through partnerships at all levels of government, NIC manages transactions for over 1,000 state & local agencies that serve more than 49 million people in the United States. Recent news releases and other information are on NIC's website at www.nicusa.com.
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