Child Support Attorney

About the role

Kenosha County is seeking a motivated Child Support Attorney to join our team. The Child Support Attorney, reporting to the Lead Child Support Attorney, acts as the legal counsel for Kenosha County Child Support Services (CSS) in the Division of Workforce Development. The Child Support Attorney will represent the County and the interests of the State of Wisconsin in all legal actions in which child support establishment, paternity establishment, child support enforcement, or modification of an existing support order are at issue, as well as any related matters.

Responsibilities

Child Support Attorneys communicate with parents and caretakers, provide resources and referrals, analyze data, conduct legal research, prepare legal pleadings, and utilize various state and federal computer systems, databases, and reports in the course of their daily activities. Specific duties include:

• Represent the State of Wisconsin in enforcement, order establishment, paternity establishment, and modification of judgment cases filed by Kenosha County CSS before the court
• Make other appearances as required to represent the interest of the State or County
• Perform legal research related to child support motions, briefs, and negotiated settlements
• Participate in and successfully complete continuing legal education courses (CLEs) and remain in good standing with the State Bar of Wisconsin
• Prepare, review, and approve the drafting of legal documents and correspondence to be submitted to the Family Court Commissioner or Circuit Court
• Review, interpret, implement, and keep current on Federal and State child support law, administrative rules, regulations, and procedures
• Negotiate out of court settlements
• Make decisions in consultation with the management and legal team regarding appeals
• Review and determine the course of action on complex cases
• Establish paternity, current support, and/or health insurance by means of drafting and filing court actions through the circuit court
• Review existing orders for modification of current support based on timelines, income and substantial changes in circumstances
• Approve and file actions with the court through the wiKIDS/CCAP efiling interface
• Maintain communication with clients, co-workers, courts, other departments and partner agencies
• Communicate with non-custodial parents who are unemployed or underemployed and refer them to employment and training programs to increase their ability to pay their child support
• Recommend cases for possible criminal non-support prosecution
• Process incoming and outgoing intergovernmental cases, as needed
• Supervise employees

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have:

• Knowledge of State and federal law as it applies to family matters including intergovernmental policies
• Knowledge of Kenosha County Circuit Court rules of law and court procedures
• Legal terminology, legal documents, and legal writing proficiency
• Family law and state/county policy as it pertains to child support, substitute care, guardianship, paternity, bankruptcy, and probate law, as they intersect with child support
• Ability to obtain required knowledge of Kids Information Data System (KIDS), WiKIDS, Child Support Online Services (CSOS), Control-D, CARES/Cares Worker Web (CWW) and Circuit Court Access (CCAP) within six months of employment
• Must be admitted to practice before the Wisconsin Supreme Court as well as the Federal Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin
• Ability to obtain a Notary Public within 6 months and maintain thereafter
• 1-3 years' experience in paternity, child support enforcement, or family law

Skills

The ideal candidate will have skill in:

• Internal and external customer service
• Typing, writing, organization, and analysis
• Investigative interviewing, research, and communication
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Negotiating settlements
• Time management, multi-tasking, and prioritization
• Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams; CCAP efiling; and Adobe Acrobat Professional
• Supervising staff
• Attention to detail

Benefits

Kenosha County offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health, dental and vision insurance effective first of month following 30 days of employment, with the ability to reduce premium contribution through participation in a wellness program
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off
• Voluntary Paid Time Off
• Twelve Paid Holidays
• Retirement Plan: Participation in the Wisconsin Retirement System which includes county-paid life insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement

Pay

The hiring range for this position is $84,278 - $100,330 annually.

Schedule

Regular attendance and punctuality are required.